The Pact
by LadyDetia
Summary: Following a death in the family, the Turtles have to do what they can to make sure their family doesn't fall apart.  Adult situations and lagnguage. VenusXLeonardo, eventual VenusXRaphael, other parings to come. Don't be shy with the reviews.
1. Chapter 1

The Pact

In the quiet hours early one Saturday morning there was a stirring in a humble New York City brownstone. The chill of winter had settled in waking a ginger haired woman in her late thirties.

"Damn, the central heat must have cut off again. Better make sure they're ok."

With a stretch and a yawn she wrapped a plush, lavender robe around herself and shuffled into the living room. The 'they' she referred to earlier lay in an amorphous pile beneath many blankets on the hardwood floor. With a sigh and a shake of her head she stepped over a few arms and legs to get to an electric fireplace nearby. Normally she didn't like to leave it on while everyone slept for safety reason so she could rely on the central heat. However her sleeping friends could not produce their own heat, so while stifling yet another yawn she turned the unit on.

The woman put a hand on the small of her back and slowly settled down on the couch. She rubbed a hand over her rounded belly as she observed her sleeping guests with fondness mixed with sadness. She snapped her head to her right when she heard someone else enter the living room. She smiled warmly at the tall, olive skinned man in a thick gray sweatshirt and flannel pajama pants.

"April, what are you doing up so early?" he asked. It was 2 AM after all and neither one of them had anywhere to go until much later in the day.

"The central heat cut off again so I got up to make sure they wouldn't freeze. Casey, if you're cold just plug in the space heater. It's in the closet next to your work boots." The man made a note of that as he ran his fingers through his long, black hair. With a heavy sigh he looked down at their slumbering friends on the floor before settling down next to April. He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in for a peck on the cheek.

"You sure it wasn't the baby that woke you up?" he inquired, noting the attention April was giving her belly with her hands.

"Nah, the baby's been pretty quiet. She doesn't move around a lot until late afternoon mostly. I was actually concerned about them," she replied, nodding towards the pile of now slightly shuffling bodies. Casey nodded gruffly in agreement, frowning a bit.

"Uh huh, I get what you're sayin'. Donnie said that if they it gets too cold they'll go…uh…what was the word he used for it?"

"Torpid."

"Yeah, that's it. Kind of like a zombie state or something like that." April snickered at Casey's explanation as the image of turtle zombies flashed in her imagination. "Anyways, thanks for looking out, babe. I probably wouldn't have considered that," Casey chuckled, sounding a bit embarrassed. Looking down at his reptilian friends caused a tug in his heart. Without their ninja gear they looked so vulnerable. Their expressions in their sleep ranged from peaceful, restless, and exhausted. He smiled when he noticed the one female snuggling up to the eldest of the males, who seemed totally oblivious to the fact except for his right hand resting loosely on her shoulder. Casey's smile slowly melted away as less pleasant thoughts crept into his mind.

"You think they might head back to the lair tonight?" April whispered, bringing Casey's attention away from his inner conversation.

"Not sure. They may not be ready yet," came his response as he considered the current circumstances.

"Yeah, you may be right," April sighed as her exotic friends stirred once again. The first to awaken was Raphael, who was lying closest to April and Casey's feet. His brown eyes slowly rolled open before he got up with an irritable grumble.

"Mornin'," he grunted as he rubbed his eyes with his thick green fingers.

"Actually, it's only 2:30 so it's not quite morning yet. But it is good to see you're awake, Raph." April offered a warm smile which the still drowsy Raphael returned with a shrug of his shoulders. He carefully stepped over his still sleeping family, pausing only to briefly look down at his older brother and the female cuddled up to him. He made a face that April couldn't quite read and he headed down the hallway toward the bathroom.

One by one the others began to awaken with stretches, yawns, and a bit of grumbling. April figured they were feeling kind of sluggish because of the chilly conditions in the house. The heat from the electric fireplace might have been what woke them up.

"Morning, guys," April greeted as Casey helped her up from the couch.

"G'mornin' April, Casey," Michelangelo yawned before planning a chaste kiss on the human woman's forehead. "Watcha doin' up so early?" the youngest asked as he rubbed his hands over his still aching arms.

"April said the heat cut off again so she got up to turn on the fireplace so you guys wouldn't freeze," Casey explained as he gave his wife a playful pat on the bottom. Michelangelo gave a brief snort of laughter when April blushed.

"Good lookin' out, April!"

"No problem, Mikey."

After seeing that her turtle friends were doing all right April decided to go back to bed to get some well needed rest. She was eight months pregnant and tired easily carrying around the extra weight. She let Leonardo know that there was plenty of fresh fruit and cereal for them to have for breakfast.

"Oh, we weren't planning on staying for breakfast, April," Leo responded matter-of-factly as he gathered and organized his brothers' gear. Venus was already putting on her gauntlets and gathering her kunai. April noticed her furtive glances at Leonardo, who didn't seem to notice since his back was towards her.

"It's ok if you guys want to chill here for a few days," Casey offered. "Besides, April could use the company while I'm workin'." Casey didn't want them to feel any pressure to leave, especially so soon after the funeral. Venus' eye's lit up and she seemed to like Casey's idea. Leo spoke up before she could pipe in.

"Thanks for the offer, Casey, but we really need to get back to the Lair to take care of some things. We appreciate the offer though." Casey simply shrugged at being turned down with a smile. Leo had a way of letting people down easy so he could spare feelings. Venus pouted a bit wishing silently that Leonardo would speak for himself when it came to rejecting the Jones' offer of hospitality. It took her a moment to work up the courage to speak up to the current head of the Hamato clan.

"Ah, Leonardo, if it's all right I would like to stay here with April for a day or two," the female turtle quietly suggested, noting the slightly irritated glance Leo gave her. Crossing his arms across his chest, he considered her for a minute or two before giving in with a small shrug. He figured she wanted to share some female bonding with April since she hardly got that chance living in a home surrounded by males.

"All right, but only for a day or two. We need you back at the Lair as well, Mei-chan, so don't get so caught up you forget about your obligations." Venus frowned a bit at his lecturing tone and blushed at his use of his personal pet name for her. She was kind of surprised he used it in front of others, since he normally didn't do that. She thought perhaps he felt comfortable using it in front of the human couple since his brothers were in other parts of the house. As of yet he hadn't used that name in front of his brothers.

"You don't have to lecture me, Leonardo, as if I am irresponsible," she grumbled as she frowned up at him. She had finally finished donning her shinobi gear and stood gracefully to her feet. Leonardo cleared his throat, a little embarrassed by his unintentional tone.

"I'm sorry, Mei-chan. I didn't mean to insult you or anything. I know you'll do what's best." Leo smiled and gave her a playful tap on her beak, causing her blush to become even more obvious. By now the younger Hamato brothers began to assemble in the living room. Without a word Leonardo tossed them their ninja gear. April gave each of the boys a hug good-bye before heading back to bed.

"You guys be safe," Casey added before following his wife. When the Turtles were all geared up and ready to go Donatello noticed Venus had settled down on the couch. She smiled brightly as she waved to the other four.

"You're not coming with us?" Donatello inquired with one leg dangling out of a window leading to the fire escape.

"No, but I will follow you in no more than two days. I've decided to keep April some company since Casey will be working twelve hour shifts the next two days," the female reptile explained.

"In that case, we should stay a couple more days too, right Leo?" Mikey asked, his voice overflowing with hope. He was in no hurry to go back to a place that held such bad memories that were fresh in his mind. He knew he had to face a harsh reality that he'd rather avoid until he was emotionally ready.

"Actually, Mike, only Venus is staying behind for now. We're still heading back before sunrise, as planned. The youngest brother looked pretty heartbroken by his oldest brother's response.

"You know, Leo, you got a lot of nerve deciding what we're gonna do for us," Raphael growled in irritation. "What makes you think we're in a hurry to go back to the Lair right now?"

"And you think_ I_ am? The thing is no matter how we feel we need to go back. The longer we put off the longer it will take for us to get our lives back on track."

"What about, Venus? She's part of this family too. Why is she staying behind?" Leonardo didn't feel like explaining to his brother that he though Venus could use some time with another female instead of drowning in testosterone as always.

"Raph, let's just go. We shouldn't impose on April and Casey any more than we have." Raphael appeared as if he was going to say something in response, but he changed his mind and merely scowled at his older brother. He also wasn't in the mood to argue, but at the same time he was highly annoyed that Leo, once again, decided what they all were going to do without consulting all of them first. He felt he was taking his leadership to tyrannical levels and he was not pleased at all. At the same time he knew that April needed plenty of rest in her present state. He finally grudgingly agreed to return to the Lair with his brothers. Venus flinched a bit when Raphael shot her a look before climbing out the window after the others. As she gathered up the blankets, sheets and pillows on the living room floor she heard the red masked turtle mumble, "I guess it pays to have a pussy when it comes to getting your way when dealing with Leo."

Anger flashed across her face as she folded the sheets. She found that statement quite insulting. The young shinobi sighed with relief after the brothers were finally gone. She had been having some serious thoughts bouncing around in her head since Master Splinter's death. She was glad she would have a mature female like April to speak to about her concerns from a female perspective. She smiled as she looked forward to what little, but much needed time she would get to spend with her friend.

*Next chapter: Venus shares her worries with April while the brothers start to piece their lives together without their father. It's not going to be easy.


	2. Chapter 2

The Pact

By LadyDetia

Chapter 2

Around 8 AM that morning April and Casey got up to have some breakfast. April was still in her comfort mode wearing a pair of sweatpants and a very large sweater Casey referred to as 'the Cosby sweater' because of all the bright colors and crazy patterns. When April planned on spending most of the day indoors she didn't care about how her clothes looked as long as she was comfortable. She didn't present herself as looking untidy or lazy though. That would just be going too far in her mind. She was pregnant, not an invalid. She could still properly groom herself.

On her way to the kitchen she heard music playing accompanied by the sound of rhythmic breathing. She spotted Venus on the floor doing crunches while her Shell Cell sat on the coffee table. It was open and had a pair of small speakers attached to it. April smirked to herself as she thought how long it must have taken the others (especially Mikey) to convince Donatello to add such a feature to the device. Donnie usually chose function over fun when it came to such devices, so April was a bit caught off guard.

She was startled by Casey hugging her from behind and rubbing her belly before he pushed past her into the kitchen.

"Morning, ladies! What's it gonna be for breakfast? I'm in the mood for Cream of Wheat, scrambled eggs, and bacon. How about you, babe?"

"Sounds good to me, Case," April replied with genuine gratitude. She appreciated it when Casey would cook breakfast for them so she could stay off of her swollen feet as much as possible. "How about you, Venus?"

The female Turtle stopped mid crunch to look in the general direction of the kitchen.

"Some fresh fruit will suffice. Many thanks, April and Casey," Venus called back before resuming her exercise. Casey cocked an eyebrow at how Venus could pause mid-crunch like that, comparing her abdominal strength to She Hulk. He remembered Leonardo telling him how Venus would sometimes hold the position for 5 minutes straight, which was incredible in Casey's mind. He also noticed how Leo would have this look of admiration in his eyes anytime he spoke about Venus. Leonardo never came out and said he was in love with her, but Casey could tell.

After a hearty breakfast Casey worked off a little steam himself on the treadmill in the far corner of the living room. He then took a shower and laid down for a nap before leaving for work. He worked the evening shift for a security company, and he was scheduled two twelve hour shifts for the next two days. From 2 PM to 2 AM April would have been alone at the house if not for Venus staying. April was really glad that she wouldn't be cooped up in the house all by herself. Venus was grateful to have some time away from the boys so she could get her thoughts together about her personal troubles. Being around them could get so distracting at times, especially around Leonardo. Something about him made her feel nervous and self-conscious.

Venus and April were able to share some of what Raphael referred to as 'girly time' during their morning workout. April took it slow and easy on her large plastic exercise ball while Venus did some simple stretching.

"So, April, how is your health these days?" the turtle inquired as she executed an elegant leg stretch.

"Pretty good. Sticking to the diet was tricky at first, but I got used to it. I'm glad my doctor said it was alright to indulge my cravings. Just have to make sure I do so in moderation."

"I see…" After Venus finished her stretches she walked behind April and placed her hands on her shoulders. She slowly began to knead the human's tense muscles causing April to sigh and relax her head against Venus' plastron. This gave the mutant turtle a better view of April's presently altered form. Venus had been fascinated by April's pregnancy since the day she and Casey announced the news to them months ago. "Ah…April, what does it…feel like?" April tilted her head up to look at Venus, wondering what she meant.

"What does what feel like, honey?"

"Umm…being pregnant."

"Oh! Well, at times I felt a bit nauseous, others uncomfortable, but I've also felt excited, especially when I first felt the baby move. Overall I feel…extremely happy." April observed Venus' expression to get any indication that what she was saying was making any sense. "Why do you ask?" A part of April was hoping she wasn't going to tell her she was expecting too. That would lead to a whole lot of questions.

"Um…well, I was just curious." Venus paused her massage when April sat up straight and swiveled around on her ball.

"Is there something going on that I should know about, Venus?"

"No ma'am. What makes you say that?"

"You've been acting kind of strange lately." Venus gave a nervous gulp. Could April really see through her cover?

"Well, I…you see…" She stumbled over her words, unable to complete a thought. April rested a hand on the nervous turtle's arm shaking her head.

"Are you hinting that you think you and Leo might be ready to take things to the next level?" Venus' eyes widened with shock. She was caught off guard by April's forwardness.

"No! No, not exactly. Then again…" April was close but not that close.

"Listen, honey, from the way you're acting I can tell you're not ready so why don't you just relax and give it some more time, okay? You're not getting pressure to move too fast are you?"

"Absolutely not! In fact…well, things have not been moving at all as of late," Venus muttered, her voice dripping with disappointment. April tried not to look too relieved to hear that. She cared for all the Turtles, for they were indeed part of her family. However she was not their mother and pretty much had no say in their intimate lives. She was honored that Venus felt the need to open up to her about such issues, even if she wasn't completely open yet.

"Look, honey, why don't you talk to him about it when you go back to the Lair. If you need any advice you know I'm here for you. Just don't stress yourself out about it too much, ok?"

April patted Venus' hand in a motherly fashion as the female terrapin looked as if the weight of the world was removed from her carapace. Mei Pieh Chi was so glad she had a mature adult female to open up to. At the same time she wasn't sure April was ready to hear what was really on her mind. She was about to find out.

Venus de Milo rolled April's extra exercise ball in front of her human friend and sat down. She glanced at the hardwood floor before looking April in the eye with the most serious expression the woman had ever seen on the young turtle's face.

"April, I must be honest with you about what is truly troubling me. I ask right now that you just listen." As Venus began to voice her concern April's eyes grew wider and wider with shock. The more she heard the less she knew what to say to the younger female. By the time Venus finished her explanation April was utterly speechless. "I understand if you have reservations about my thoughts, April, but I believe this must be done for the benefit of us Turtles. I just needed your listening ear before I tell the boys about this. The thing is that you have known them longer than I have so I was hoping you would have an idea how they might react to such a thing." Venus watched as Aprils mouth moved but not a sound emerged from her lips. After a few moments the pregnant woman was able to speak…somewhat.

"Venus, what you're suggesting…it's…oh my god, I don't know what…I don't even know how to take this so I surely don't know how they'll react! It sounds so…so…"

"Sordid? Shameful? Disgusting?"

"No, no! It's…well for one thing it's unexpected! What made you think of such a thing?" Venus really didn't want to get into the details that lead to her troubling conclusion. She bowed her head in shame because of April's negative response. "Oh, Honey, don't look like that. It's ok. You don't have to feel bad because of me. Who am I to judge? You're just looking out for your family. It's just that your…proposed method took me by surprise. When it comes down to it you really don't need my approval. I think you should discuss it with the boys and see what they think. I suggest you wait until things calm down a bit though. We're all in mourning right now so give it a little time before springing this on them."

"I suppose you are right, April. Thank you for the sound advice." With a nervous laugh April rubbed her temples as if she felt a headache coming on.

"No problem, V. Now how about a little Dr. Phil and a nice hot cup of tea?"

"That sounds delightful!" Venus clapped her hands together while flashing a cheerful smile to hide her nervousness. She realized she had two days to figure out how to discuss this issue with the others. She dreaded their reaction, especially Leonardo's.

"_Ah well, it must be done so I might as well get it over with,"_ she sighed inwardly as she went to the kitchen to brew her and April's tea.

*Next Chapter: Venus comes home to a bit of chaos. Family dynamics are realigned. Venus voices her concerns to the other Turtles.


	3. Chapter 3

*I do not own TMNT. Just a fan, thus the writing of fan fiction. ;-)

Chapter 3

Complete and utter chaos. That is the conclusion one would arrive at if they were an outsider looking in at the Lair of the Hamato clan. The four brothers were quickly organizing and cleaning their home after their long hiatus in the Battle Nexus. They had not been there to compete, since that time had come and gone and only occurred every few years. They had been undergoing specialized training with the Daimyo's son. Unfortunately their training was cut short when something terrible happened causing the loss of someone very dear to them. It was a shock to everyone there when it happened and just as much of a shock to those they called family back in New York. Right now the brothers were dealing with the shock of sudden loss by distracting themselves with mundane things and executing them in extraordinary ways. Michaelangelo and Donatello had made a game of organizing recyclables using their respective weapons to launch the objects into their specific piles. While the youngest turtle swatted a soda can with his nunchaku behind his shell Leonardo and Raphael effortlessly bobbed and weaved their way around the room amongst the flying debris straightening and dusting the furniture.

To an untrained eye it would seem that the ninja were not paying attention to the objects whizzing through the air yet at the same time their lightning fast reflexes allowed them to get out of the way at the last second. Mikey's cat, Klunk, observed all this with interest. His head flicked back and forth as he tried to follow the cans and paper products with his feline eyes. He would occasionally reach out a paw to bat at some crumpled object, sometimes even standing on his hind legs, but the stuff was moving way too fast for him. Every now and then Leonardo would casually deflect a can or two into the pile with the flat part of one of his katana blades without even turning his head from what he was doing. Just to give his brother's a little challenge, Raphael picked up one of the recycling bins to catch some of the debris. Michaelangelo smirked as he aimed for the now mobile bin dangling from between his brother's feet. With a quick flick of his ankles Raph tilted the container forward and smirked right back at his little brother as the can landed with a metallic clunk.

As the young males took on an even more playful mood they got a little careless with their aim. Donatello had batted a can just a little out of range, but it didn't matter since a delicate green hand caught it before it hit the ground.

"Venus! Welcome back, sweetness!" Mikey greeted cheerfully before executing a front flip over the couch. He flinched when Raphael slapped him on the back of the head. Venus snickered to the sight.

"Quit showing off for her. It's getting annoyin', Mikey." He then gave Venus a curt nod of acknowledgement before going back to his work of gathering the recyclables. Leonardo put down his dusting rag to greet the female turtle for himself.

"Hey, Mei. It's good to have you back. How's April?"

"She is doing well. She sent me back with some fresh fruit and plenty of tea." Donatello had already made his way over to her to take the plastic bags from her right hand as she chucked the soda can into the bin with her left.

"Nice shot," the purple masked mutant complimented to which Venus responded with quiet thanks and a small smile.

"I am sorry I didn't get back sooner to help with the pre-spring cleaning," she apologized as she casually swiped a finger over a nearby piece of furniture. She looked her finger over before giving a satisfied nod and sitting on the couch. Klunk quickly settled on her lap. Venus stroked him from head to tail and she giggled when he let out a happy 'brrt'.

"Hey, Klunk-ster, are you trying' to make moves on my girl?" Mikey commented with feigned annoyance as he sat next to Venus, draping his arm behind her. He didn't notice the small frown that formed on Leonardo's face as he stood next to the couch.

"Mei, you don't have to apologize for not being here. You do more than your fair share around here. Besides, I'm sure April appreciated your company the past couple days." Leo rested a hand on her shoulder as Venus smiled brightly up at him. Raphael 'coughed' into his hand to barely disguise his muttered words 'butt-kisser', causing his older brother to give him a sharp look. That only lead to the other younger brothers to succumbing to a fit of giggles. Leonardo sat next to Mei Pei Chi with a grunt of irritation and brushing Michaelangelo's hand from the back of her shell.

"Nonetheless I still feel there is much I can offer this family, Leonardo," the female responded as she settled deeper into the couch cushions. Mikey noticed she scooted just a bit closer to Leo.

"You're talking like you're an outsider, Venus," the youngest interjected as his brow crinkled with concern. "You do know you're part of this family, right?"

"Of course I do! It's just that lately...I've been dealing with certain...concerns." She bowed her head and began to stroke Klunk behind his ear.

"What kinda concerns?" came Donatello's query as he returned from the kitchen. The other four waited for Venus to provide an explanation. She hesitated a few moments before letting out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, it's nothing that can't wait until we have something to eat. I'm famished! Now where is that fruit?" No one bothered to stop her as she headed towards the kitchen leaving the others with their curiosity piqued. Raphael shrugged his shoulders and followed the female to the food. He was a bit hungry after several hours of cleaning. The rest soon followed suit and within minutes each of them had fixed whatever they had a taste for. Leonardo had some green tea with honey with some spring greens. Raphael was in the mood for some boiled bratwurst with sauerkraut. Donatello had a hankering for a grilled cheese sandwich. Michelangelo had a microwaveable chicken cheese steak with a heaping pile of popcorn shoved into it. They had all learned not to question Mikey's taste in food.

They spent their meal making light conversation mixed with a bit of teasing. They all avoided the subject of the loss of Master Splinter. None of them wanted to be the first to bring it up. Toward the end of the meal Venus spoke up to get the guys' attention.

"Um...if it is alright with you all and you have nothing else pressing I would like to discuss something with you after breakfast." Everyone stopped in mid-chew then all the younger brothers looked over at the oldest then at Venus.

"Well, since we're all here why don't we discuss it now?" Leonardo responded, in effect asking what was on all of the guys' minds.

"I think it would be most proper to have this conversation in the dojo." She then quietly bowed her head and resumed eating her apple. The rest did the same while Leo didn't take his eyes off of Venus for the rest of the meal. She seemed uncomfortable about something but he couldn't put his finger on it.

After breakfast all five of them met in the dojo. They settled down on the tatami floor in a circle. Leonardo sat next to Michelangelo who was flanked by Donatello. Raphael and Venus completed the circle respectively. With a nod of his head towards her Leo gave Venus the go ahead to speak her mind. With a sigh she began to speak.

"For some time now I have been pondering many concerns regarding this family, and even more so since...our great loss." Her vague reference to the painful event caused a ripple of emotions to pass on each of the Turtle's faces. "That happening has me considering things such as our mortality and even the future of this clan. I know you all understand that adjustments in our relationships will come in order to hold our family together. That will take care of the present. But what about the future? How will we establish a legacy? Who will carry on after we cross from this life to the next?"

She paused to gauge they guys' expressions. She noticed some confusion and a bit of apprehension. She cleared her throat and continued.

"I feel very strongly that we shouldn't let this generation of our family simply fade away ending our existence in this world...so I propose that we should make preparations to...ahm...procreate in the near future." She paused again in order for her words to sink in. The first one to speak up was Raphael.

"Wait a minute. Why the hell are you telling all of us this? I mean, shouldn't you be talkin' to your boyfriend over there about this?" He jerked his thumb towards his older brother, who now had a look on his face like he wanted to pull into his shell.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leo snapped.

"I'm saying we don't need to hear about you two finally getting' down and dirty!"

Venus could sense an argument brewing so she brought their attention back to the issue at hand with a loud clap.

"I am not just referring to Leonardo! That in itself is a whole other issue. What I'm suggesting is, for the sake of the future of this clan, that I...mate with all of you."

By now her voice was barely above a whisper, and it got so quiet in the dojo you could hear a feather land on the tatami mat. She looked down at her hands to avoid the shocked expressions on the others' faces.

"You do realize what you're saying, Venus?" Donatello asked, sounding a bit unsure himself.

"Of course I do! If you think it's not a good idea I will accept that." She still wouldn't look up, she felt so weighted down with embarrassment and shame.

"Actually, what you're suggesting makes a lot of sense. In order to have some variety in the gene pool for the next generation you'd pretty much have to go that route," came Don's response in that most thoughtful manner of his. Mikey slowly and sheepishly raised his hand to put in his two cents.

"I kinda agree with Donny on this one, so..." He was cut off by a sound coming from one of his brothers that was a mixture of anger and frustration. Moments later a flash of green and blue stormed out of the dojo. "Looks like Leo's not takin' it well, huh? And I thought it was Raph's job to storm off in a huff leaving a trail of pissed mist. By the way, what do you think, Raph?"

The red masked mutant just sat there slack jawed for a moment staring at the meek looking female. He wondered if he was trapped in some weird Twilight Zone moment. Venus didn't know if she should be happy or afraid of the smile slowly forming on Raph's visage.

"Well now, turns out the perfect little princess had a fuckin' freak just itchin' to get out," he smirked. Venus turned three different shades of green as she took great offense to that comment. "Leo, you got yourself a live one here!" he called after his brother. When he turned his attention back to Venus he noticed her balled fists and narrowed eyes. "Oh, did I hurt your feelings? Well, guess what? Da truth hurts!"

"You want to know what else hurts?" Venus hissed through clenched teeth. Before the guys knew what was happening she reached over and slapped Raph hard across the beak. She then made a quick exit leaving a stunned and slightly annoyed Raph with two of his brothers giving him dirty looks. With an irritated grunt he got up and stalked out of the room.

"Damn, Raph was really harsh," Mikey muttered after Raph slammed the dojo door behind him. "I mean it took a lot of guts for Venus to speak her mind like that. He didn't have to insult her!" He could feel anger swelling up inside him and took a deep breath to keep violent thoughts at bay.

"I know, Mikey. She's only trying to contribute to our survival as a species." Donatello just hoped this whole incident didn't end up tearing their family apart.

*Next chapter: What's really bothering Raph? Also, Leo confronts Venus about her suggestion.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was about an hour before sunrise and emotions were running high after the Turtles' family meeting. There was a rare moment of Venus losing her temper and lashing out. The slap across Raphael's face did more to bruise his pride than damage his face. He rubbed his jaw as he sulked on the couch with a scowl on his face that could peel the paint off the walls. He was clearly upset about _something,_ but the others just didn't know what it was. When Michelangelo came into the living room area a few minutes later he could tell his brother was not in the mood to talk, at least not in a civil manner. That wasn't going to stop him from giving Raph a piece of his mind about his treatment of Venus.

"Hey, Raph!" The brooding turtle cut his eyes at his little brother. That was all the response he gave for the moment. "Where's Venus?"

"I don't know and I don't care," he grumbled. He actually had some idea of where she went since he had seen her leave the Lair with Leonardo close behind. He didn't budge as Mikey stopped in front of him staring down at him with hardened eyes. It was one of those rare moments the normally upbeat Turtle was showing his anger. It wasn't that he never felt it, it's just that he usually disguised it with humor to make himself feel a little more comfortable in certain situations. But right now he had had enough of his brother's foul attitude.

"Raph! What you said to Venus was really out of order!" the orange masked mutant growled. His sibling slowly looked up at him with a slightly amused expression.

"Oh yeah? I'm outta order, huh? What about her tellin' us all that crap about what we should do about our future? Her ideas are so sick and twisted, yet you and Donny fell for it hook, line, n' sinker!"

By now Donatello had ventured into the living room after hearing the raised voices. He knew if Mikey was mad enough to yell then things did not bode well.

"I don't think what she said was sick and twisted at all! I mean, if you disagree with the method, fine! You don't have to be a total ass about it!" By now Mikey was clenching and unclenching his fists fighting back the urge to punch Raph in the mouth. He didn't take kindly to anyone talking badly about Venus, not even his own brother.

"So you think her ideas are so great, eh?" He slowly stood from the couch until he was muzzle to muzzle with Mikey. He then spread his arms wide with a smirk. "Take a look around you, bro. I mean really look! Does this look like something you want to bring a child into? A life living underground in hiding in a place where people flush their shit? Would you really chose to bring a child into this world where we can't even roam freely without worrying about people freakin' out at the sight of us? You really want to have to explain to your kids why the humans can live in comfort up there while we skulk around down here? You think that's really fair to do that to a kid on purpose?"

Mikey faltered trying to come up with a response and failed. He visibly relaxed as he let his brother's words sink in. With a heavy sigh Donatello flopped on the couch with a defeated look on his face. Raph hooked his thumbs into his belt while shaking his head.

"Look, you guys do what you want. As for me...I don't want no parts of this." With that Raphael made his way to his room.

Michelangelo sat next to a worried looking Donatello. He couldn't exactly tell what was going through Donny's mind just by looking. There was no telling what thoughts he was turning over and analyzing with his intellect. Perhaps he was weighing the pros and cons of what Venus and Raphael said to see which idea made better sense. If they chose Venus' approach they would have to overcome the children's natural curiosity about the world to shield them from the disappointment they had gone through themselves. If they went with Raphael's idea they would be met with the prospect of going into extinction. In Donatello's mind extinction was not a welcome option.

"Well, here we are stuck as the possible peacemakers again, Donnie-boy. What do you think we should do?" Mikey asked, his normally cheerful, playful demeanor replaced with a serious and mature one.

"I truly don't know, Mikey. All of this has me feeling a bit crazy right now. I do know this. Whatever each of us decides we mustn't rush things. I believe in making educated and well informed decisions when it comes to issues like this. It can't be taken lightly."

"I know that!" Mikey grumbled, a bit irritated at Donatello's non-answer. "It's just that what Raph said got me thinkin' about what we went through when we were kids. I mean Splinter had his hands full taking care of us, protecting us, and teaching us how to survive in a hostile environment. On the flip side, our kids will have a lot more protection and guidance since there's more of us. On top of that we know the kinds of things they could face since we lived through it ourselves, so it's not like we'll be going in blind. It's just...a lot to consider, man."

Mikey laid his head in his hands trying to quiet the turmoil in his mind and emotions. While he agreed that the survival of their species was extremely important, there was a selfish part of him that just wanted an opportunity to get closer to Venus...and he hated himself for it.

Venus stared down at the swirling waters below her. She half listened to the distant roar of a motor somewhere further down the sewer line. There was the occasional hiss of steam as several pipes released a buildup of pressure within. It was comparable to the pressure of mixed emotions she could physically feel in her chest. It was painful and made it hard for her to breathe. She felt stifled by something weighing on her mind. She wondered if it was guilt, then quickly wondered what reason she even had to feel guilty. She was trying to build up her family not tear it down. However Leo and Raph's responses towards her made her feel like she was actually doing the latter. She released a quivering sigh as her vision blurred for a moment. Venus was aware that her tears would be coming so she didn't fight to hold them back. She had to release the emotional pressure somehow. Within seconds her tears were flowing in earnest seeping into the cracks of her brokenness. In her distraught state she hadn't noticed that someone had stepped up beside her. She flinched with surprise when she felt arms wrap around her and gently pull her into an embrace.

"Please forgive me if those tears are because of something I've done, Mei-chan," came a tender and familiar voice. Venus made a sound between gasping and sobbing as she relaxed in his arms.

"Leonardo, I feel like I'm the one who needs forgiveness." Her voice was quiet and unsure as she continued. "My big mouth has troubled the sensibilities of this family, but that was not my intention..."

"Mei, please don't think you did anything wrong," he admonished as he propped his chin on top of her head. For some reason his words made her feel even more confused, but she kept her thoughts to herself for the moment. "I have to admit the things you said got me pretty upset, but it wasn't because you did anything wrong. I just felt like...something precious was about to be lost to me forever."

"What...do you mean?" As she waited for an answer her head was pressed gently against his plastron. While he gathered his thoughts she heard ragged breaths rumbling in his chest. It made her wonder if he had been crying too.

"Mei, I gotta be honest...I'm really not comfortable with your suggestion. It's not because it's a bad idea. There's a more selfish reason behind all this. Mei Pei Chi, I want to to be...the only one to ever touch you that way."

The female's eyes grew wide at his revelation, and she was keenly aware of the jealous tone in his voice. She felt a mixture of girlish giddiness, sadness, and a bit of frustration. That jealousy was just one of the problems she didn't want to deal with but knew she had to. She shuddered with excitement when she felt him stroking the back of her neck. She broke from his embrace to face him eye to eye. Leonardo blinked and stumbled back a step. He wasn't expecting an almost fearful look in her eyes and wondered if he had come on too strong. Then his worry that she didn't return his feelings crept into his consciousness and he felt as if his heart would shatter at any moment.

"Leonardo, it is my turn to confess." Leonardo's heart sank in anticipation of the worst. "I...must admit that my feelings for you are beyond just friendship. In fact I would say we have developed a spiritual connection." Now he felt relief. Things seemed to be going in a better direction. "However, I cannot make a promise to you I cannot keep." Apprehension gripped him once again and he wondered if he could take any more of this emotional roller coaster. "I do not wish to be unfair to your brothers, so I must at least give them an opportunity to continue their bloodline."

Leonard let out an exhale of frustration and paced back and forth for a few seconds before turning back to Venus. Why was she making things so hard for him? Why was the love he wanted to share with her and her alone so elusive? He felt defeated even though he wasn't even in a battle. He had a fleeting memory of when Mikey would jokingly tell him that love was indeed a battlefield. Most of the fighting he did was within himself. He loved Venus, and the idea of sharing her stoked the fierce flames of jealousy within him. At the same time he was deeply troubled that he even had those feelings. He knew she wasn't trying to hurt him or snub him. However, for some reason he felt that way. He sucked his teeth and shook his head when he realized if he didn't come to some kind of decision he would end up driving himself crazy. He lifted his blue eyes to meet her hazel, humbled by her steadfast determination for fairness and asked her a question.

"Can I at least be your first?"

*Next Chapter: Leo gets his answer and the Turtles prepare for the spring and the future.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He wanted to know why. Why she was causing him such torment without realizing it. All he wanted was a simple, straightforward answer, but she left him hanging. When he asked to at least be her first to share intimacy with her she said it was best to let nature take its course. From the expression on Venus' face Leonardo concluded that she had no idea what a tease she was being. He slapped a hand against his forehead and cried out in frustration. There was a primal part of him that wanted to dominate her right then and there. He had been keeping that part at bay for many months. It was especially difficult for him in the spring when the need for his release was so strong. After he calmed down he walked over to Venus, cupped her face in his hands and pressed his muzzle to hers. The kiss only lasted a brief moment, but it was enough to send a pleasurable jolt through Venus' body. Leonardo met her gaze with a hungry look in his eyes. With a nervous smile she dipped her head to hide her blush.

"Alright, Mei-chan. I'm promising to let nature take its course."

"Th-thank you," she stuttered as she headed back to the Lair. She paused a moment to give him a shy glance before jogging down the tunnel. Leo soon followed as he smiled to himself. He was going to let nature take its course alright. The course it was going to take would be set by him. If only Venus knew what he had in mind...

During the winter months the Turtles didn't venture above ground much because of the cold weather, which was extreme at times. Fortunately Donatello and their family friend, Leatherhead, had devised a plan to keep them from going into a torpid state. By diverting some fresh water and a bit of steam the reptilian duo of geniuses constructed a basking room. It provided the necessary heat and humidity they needed in order to stay active all year round, even in the frigid winter. The mutant alligator based the design on his own basking room in his corner of the sewer system.

The basking room consisted of a large pool of clean water which flowed into the chamber and out at a rate that wouldn't noticeably alter the pressure in the surrounding pipes and alert the monitors at the water filtration plant. Steam was also released at random intervals from pipes overhead. Several basking areas were set up around the room and equipped with heat lamps nearby. It was quite a cushy set-up, and one the Turtles enjoyed and appreciated immensely.

Not only did the basking room provide comfort for the reptiles, there was also a side effect caused by the unseasonable heat. When their bodies maintained a certain level of temperature the males exhibited aggressive behavior towards one another. The behavior increased in the presence of the female, causing her to retreat to a more secluded section of the room. The males' aggressiveness was never life threatening, but more like a peacock's preening for a peahen. Because she was dealing with her own feelings of awkwardness, Venus would make herself scarce around the guys when they were acting like that. After three years for dealing with this she had gotten used to it and learned to handle it better. The year prior, when she had turned 18, she came to understand the strange sensations she would feel in her body, especially in the spring, when they were the strongest. Now, at age 19, she felt that her mind had caught up with her body and she was ready to move into adulthood.

The next few weeks turned out to be pretty busy for the mutant clan. Donatello and Venus were spending quite a bit of time together, which irritated Leonardo, but he kept quiet about it once he discovered that they were doing a bit of research to figure out what to expect when Venus got pregnant. They made frequent visits to Leatherhead's home to make use of his lab equipment. On one visit Venus provided a blood sample for the two scientists to analyze as a control so they could see if there were any hormonal changes once she became sexually active. That change would act as any indication of pregnancy.

In the midst of all this, April had her baby a few weeks premature. She had a healthy baby girl that she named June Angelica Jones. Much to the new mother's chagrin Casey sent the Turtles video and photos of the birth to the Turtles' Shell Cells. Everyone was thrilled that mother and child were happy and healthy after a difficult 48 hour labor. April's loved ones wanted very much to come visit her and the baby, however she wasn't allowing any family, human or mutant, to stop by to see the newborn yet. It was an O'Neil tradition to sequester mother and baby for six to eight weeks, especially if the baby was born during cold and flu season. The Jones' took plenty of pictures to e-mail to family and friends.

Another major event came around at the time. It was especially exciting for Venus. Festivities for the Lunar Year were underway in China Town, which was where her human father, Chung I found her and adopted her before moving back to China to live in the mountain temple. Although she had to celebrate from the shadows she enjoyed watching the dance of the dragons and the pop and flash of the fireworks. The music and smells and the celebratory shouts reminded her of her homeland. She was so excited when the guys showed her the amazing spectacle after she came back to New York, and she made sure to celebrate every Lunar Year with her family.

The festivities above ground were in complete contrast to the preparations going on underground. Donatello and Venus were busy building a nesting area in her secluded part of the basking area. Casey was supplying them with any materials they needed such as soil and extra heating lamps. Donatello made use of whatever he could salvage from a local junkyard and continued his on-line research and shared any findings with Venus and Leatherhead. As the weather got warmer the Turtles were using the basking room less , but that didn't keep Leonardo from keeping an eye out for his opportunity to implement his plan. The time finally came around mid-March. The Hamato clan was celebrating Leonardo's birthday. His gifts ranged from the practical from Donatello to the just plain silly from Michelangelo. Although he really appreciated the sword polishing powder and the beanie hat made him smile, Venus' gift of a banzai plant and a card written from the heart were something that he would treasure in a special place in his heart.

Leonardo couldn't figure out for the life of him where or how Raphael found good quality sake in New York city. He had a feeling Casey had something to do with it, but didn't ask any questions. Their human friend did stop by with birthday wishes and quite a few cases of beer. Once the party was in full swing everyone got to see their usually serious leader actually loosen up. That was a welcome sight for all since they knew he was under quite a bit of stress. Being the new head of the clan carried a lot of responsibility.

Ever since the creation of the basking room the Turtles developed a tradition of letting the birthday Turtle have the room all to him (or her) self. Leonardo was now taking full advantage of that tradition with his (as Mikey put it) 'stupidly huge' bottle of sake. He sat on the side of the pool dangling his feet in the water as he repeatedly filled his ceramic cup. He was putting back quite a few cups of sake and by now had become quite mellow and a bit friendly. He looked up when he heard the chamber door open. A familiar face peeked around the door before locking eyes with him.

"Come on in, Mei-chan," he called over as he beckoned with his left hand. Venus walked in looking a little wary. Leo had sent her a text asking her to join him in the basking chamber, which she thought was odd. The birthday Turtle usually didn't share his/her time on their birthday. She shrugged to herself and chalked it up to Leo switching things up a bit out of drunkenness.

Leo patted the space next to him when Venus got closer. He watched her the whole time, noticing her body looked a bit more streamlined and her muscles were even more toned. He also noticed that she had grown in height over the past several weeks. She was now about two inches taller than him. Donnie had noticed too and concluded that she had a growth spurt. Since it was pretty much normal for normal female turtles to be slightly larger than the males Donatello didn't see it as any cause for alarm.

As soon as Venus sat next to Leonardo he poured some sake into his cup and held it out to her. Since she didn't drink very often she hesitated a brief moment before taking it from his hand. She quickly drank it down and smacked her lips at the slightly bitter taste and tingling on her tongue. Leonardo chuckled as he poured some more sake for her and initiated a benign conversation about his birthday party. His actions during that conversation were far from benign however. Venus noticed that he would take every opportunity to touch her, brushing his hands across her face and down her neck and occasionally squeezing her thigh. She could feel her growing excitement as he scooted closer to her. They both knew the conversation was pretty much over when he leaned over to lightly lick and nip her neck.

With a smirk Venus slipped into the pool. When she looked over her shoulder she saw Leo frowning down at her. When she giggled and dove underwater something clicked inside Leo's mind. He may have been drunk but he wasn't stupid. His frown melted away as he slid into the clean waters himself. He had felt that oh so familiar twitch under his plastron which told him the chase was on. He could see her swimming circles around him. He dove under and reached for her. She swam away from him, accidentally brushing a foot between his legs.

'Damn tease,' he grumbled inwardly as he swam after her. They continued their underwater ballet for about five minutes before surfacing. They were now face to face and Mei's teasing smirk was gone from her visage. Their eyes locked as Leo ran a wet finger down her cheek, over her shoulder, then dipped underwater. Venus took deep, relaxing breaths as she felt him exploring her private area. Leo watched her face to see if he was causing her any discomfort. When she made a subtle sound like a gasp he took that as an indication that he had found what he was looking for. He gently took her by the arm and guided her to the poolside near the ladder. Venus noticed Leo was moving strangely and had his right arm underwater while he steadied himself with his left resting on the pool's edge. He then grabbed her left hand and pulled it under and towards him. She felt something brush against her hand. It felt strange to her when it bumped against the back of her hand. Leo noticed her look of confusion and decided to clear things up a bit. He uncurled her fingers then wrapped it around the object. It was stiff and long. She felt it twitch in her hand. Once she realized what it was she fought back the urge to pull away.

At that moment when Venus looked into Leonardo's eyes she could see the sudden sobriety and seriousness in them. It was as if his gaze was burning into her. It made her feel more excited than nervous. She felt her heart jump in her chest as he pulled her closer and gently pressed his muzzle to her ear.

"Why don't we stop these games and do what comes naturally, eh Mei-chan?" he whispered as he gently turned her until she was facing away from him. Venus gripped the pool's edge and glanced nervously from side to side, not quite sure what to expect. She surprised herself with her own whimper when she felt Leonardo exploring her virginal opening once again. He watched her closely to for any indication for him to stop. When she noticeably relaxed he knew it was ok to take things a step further. Venus could feel what Leo was doing more than see. She was aware that he was now behind her and heard some light splashing. It was made pretty clear to her what he was doing when she felt something slowly easing its way inside of her. Once again she felt his beak brush against her cheek as she got acclimated of this new, full sensation.

"You ok?" She gave a quick nod. "Does it hurt?" She shook her head as he pushed in even further. When their eyes met once again they both knew neither one of them could feign ignorance of what was happening. Leonardo exhaled a breath he hadn't realize he had been holding and kissed Venus on the cheek. She relaxed even more as she let Leonardo set the pace of the movement of their joined bodies. She took hold of the ladder railing when she felt her body raise out of the water a bit to steady herself. In her mind she couldn't believe what was taking place, and at the same time she was so glad the tension between them was finally broken. Venus closed her eyes and enjoyed the closeness and intimacy of the moment.

Her submissive posture excited Leonardo even more. It let him know that any doubts she had about what was happening right now had left her. He felt so happy to be nestled inside of her he paused a moment to enjoy her silky walls enveloped around him. He nipped at her neck as he let the flow of the water rock their bodies with its sensual rhythm. Soon he began to move his hips again on his own, sealing the small gap between them. His eyes popped open when he heard Venus let out a subtle cry. When he saw her face he knew it wasn't out of pain, so he picked up the pace. It wasn't long before he felt as if his life's essence was pouring from him into his mate's body. It was an immensely pleasurable feeling that he could have basked in forever if it wasn't for an odd sound he heard. It took him a moment to realize that it was coming from him. A few seconds after that he saw Venus staring at him looking a bit confused. Once they both realized what happened they shared a laugh.

"Sorry, Mei-chan. I guess I got a bit carried away. But it felt sooo good," he practically purred as he kissed her shoulder.

"I know..." she sighed as she reached a hand back to stroke his head. Without a word Leo pulled out of her and swam to the pool ladder in one fluid movement. Venus soon followed and paused when she got a glimpse of what had been inside of her moments before. She bit her bottom lip and blushed as if she was just truly realizing what they had just done. She felt no shame about it though. Just blissfully content and relaxed.

By now Leonardo was basking under one of the may heat lamps watching Venus with half closed eyes. She knelt at his feet and shyly played with one of his damp toes. She felt like she should say something but words failed her at the moment. With a small shrug she settled beside Leo facing him under the radiant heat. She drank in his serious expression and was caught off guard when he tapped a finger against the tip of her beak.

"Why so serious, Mei-chan?" She blinked and smiled back at him.

"Just thinking."

"What about?"

"Too many things to say in one sitting," she chuckled. Before he could question her even further she hushed him with a kiss. "Happy birthday, Leo. I hope you enjoyed my gift." From the playful smirk on Venus' face it didn't take much for Leonardo to figure out what gift she was referring to. He laughed as he pulled her close.

"Your damn right I enjoyed it!" He then gave her a kiss that let her know that it wouldn't be the last time they shared such a moment. He would make sure of that.

*Next Chapter: The Turtles finally get to meet baby June. Also Venus begin to exhibit odd behavior and the guys, especially Donatello, take notice.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

*Almost 500 hits and only 4 reviews? C'mon, people. I would like to know what you think of the story. Feedback actually helps with the development. But thank you to those few that did review.

Spring was well underway and as usual it was an exciting time for the Turtles. The cold weather was a thing of the past for the time being. That meant they could come up to the surface more often. It had been about two months since the birth of June Jones, and April and Casey had sent an official invite to family and friends to properly introduce their daughter to them. Their human relatives had come to see the little bundle of joy for the weekend then left early Monday morning. April had some time to tidy up and put away the baby gifts before nightfall, when her other, non-human friends were supposed to stop by.

Casey heard the familiar soft tapping on the window by the fire escape while April breastfed June. He looked over at his wife for any indication that she was ready for her next wave of visitors. April adjusted her clothing then laid the burp cloth over her shoulder. She gave Casey a simple nod as she gently patted the baby on her back. The woman smiled as she heard the window slide open. Her Turtle friends had become extremely skilled at silent movement, yet April was aware of their presence as they made their way to the living room. She laughed when a familiar, green, freckled face loomed over her shoulder.

"Hi, Mikey."

"Hey, new mommy!" he greeted as he made his way to the front of the couch. April was now cradling the infant in her arms. June was quite alert and seemed very interested in Michelangelo. With a smile full of tenderness Mikey stroked her soft, black curls. "Aww...she's so tiny and cute!" he cooed as Raphael took a seat next to April and gave her a one arm hug.

"Cute kid," he commented as he played with one of June's tiny toes. By now the rest of the Turtles had gathered in front of the couch to admire the precious little one. They couldn't help but notice the pride on Casey's face. Venus sat quietly observing the human baby practically in awe.

"She's beautiful, you guys!" Donatello exclaimed. "She's got Casey's hair and complexion and April's eyes and nose." They each took turns playing with June while April held her until they all got the surprise of their life when Raphael asked to hold her. The other Turtles watched him closely, especially Venus. She noticed how gentle he was and how he made sure to support June's little head. The baby remained calm and looked as if she was right at home. What really got Venus' attention was that soft, loving expression in his eyes. For a brief moment she caught herself wishing he would look at her that way, just once.

April let each of the Turtles hold her daughter until baby June fell asleep in Leonardo's arms.

"Leave it to Leo to bore a baby to sleep," Raph joked in his usual deadpan manner. Leonardo simply rolled his eyes as April gathered up the baby in her arms to take her to her crib. Venus gave June a little goodnight kiss before April put the baby to bed. While she did that Casey made an offer he knew his friends couldn't refuse.

"Hey, you guys hungry? We ordered some pizza earlier..." He didn't even have to finish that sentence. Casey heated up the food and the Turtles dug in. All except one. Both Casey and April noticed Venus picked at her one slice of pizza then only ate half of it. That was odd since Venus usually ate as much as the boys. "V, you feelin' ok?" Casey asked as Mikey polished off the rest of her slice without a second thought.

"Oh, I'm fine. Just not very hungry," came her quiet reply. Casey shrugged it off, but April wasn't convinced. Something about Venus' posture told her that the female mutant was feeling uncomfortable for some reason. She didn't press the issue though. She figured if something was bothering Venus she would confide in her. April wasn't aware that the brothers had already noticed Venus' diminishing appetite over the past couple weeks. They all suspected what the reason for that was but none dared to speak of it. With hugs and heartfelt farewells all around the Turtles ended their visit with the Jones' and their new baby. Casey watched his wife closely as their ninja friends vanished into the shadows. She had those wrinkles in her forehead she always got when she was thinking really, really hard.

"What's on your mind, babe?"

"Venus..."

"What about her?"

"It's as if she's keeping something really important from us." April noticed the odd look on her husband's face so she decided to drop the subject. "Ah well, if she really needs to get it off her chest I'm sure she'll tell us." Casey nodded in agreement as she settled down for bed as April hoped she was right about Venus.

Back at the Lair the turtle in question was undergoing what she felt was an interrogation from Donatello. He was bombarding her with all kinds of questions while they sat in his lab.

"How long have you been experiencing lack of appetite? Are you losing a lot of weight? Are you feeling any discomfort? Do you feel ill or dizzy? I noticed you've increased your basking time. Why is that?" The questions kept coming and coming until Venus had enough. It was the scowl on her face that made it clear that Donatello needed to give her a break with the questions. "Ok, why don't we take a trip to Leatherhead's to run a few tests. It shouldn't take long." With a shake of her head and a sigh she reluctantly agreed. Once they arrived at their mutant ally's home Donatello briefly explained the situation the the mutant gator.

"Hmmm...it looks like you'll be providing me with another blood sample, my dear," Leatherhead responded as he gave Venus a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Venus knew the routine by now and stuck out her right arm. With a shake of his massive head and a lighthearted chuckle, the mutant scientist drew a sample. The analysis only took a few minutes, but it seemed like forever to the young Turtles. Leatherhead returned looking a bit concerned as he explained the results. "Miss Venus, your hormone levels are indeed elevated. That suggests to me that you are pregnant." He noticed to look of excitement on Donatello's face and worry on Venus'. "Have you been experiencing any tenderness here?" he asked as he gently place a hand on her plastron. Venus nodded in response.

"Just a little."

"Alright. Well, according to the research we've done on red-eared sliders you aren't going to have much of an appetite during this pregnancy. We just don't know how long gestation will be nor if it will be a live birth." Venus' eyes widened at that last statement as Leatherhead turned to Donatello. "Someone must keep a close eye on her and I suggest she remains off of patrol for the remainder of the pregnancy for safety reasons.

"And absolutely no sparring," Donatello warned. "Tai Chi is fine though." Venus wasn't going to argue against that. After the pair left Leatherhead's home they chatted away about possible changes they would make to the nesting area, including adding a baby monitor and security camera. They were so immersed in the conversation they didn't notice the person leaning against a nearby wall.

"So, is everything all right?" Both Donatello and Venus nearly jumped out of their shells at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Geez, Leo! You scared the crap outta me! How long were you standing there?"

"Long enough. And you know you should be more alert, Don."

"I know, I know. I should be in ninja mode, not scientist mode right now. Got it."

"Good. Now, tell me what's going on." This time Leonardo looked directly at Venus.

"Ah...well, Leatherhead ran some tests and discovered that...umm..." She could tell Leo was losing patience with her hesitation by his posture and glare. "...I am pregnant. That is why I have a loss of appetite. It turns out it is normal for...our kind." The Hamato clan leader took all of this information in, gave a thoughtful nod, then started walking towards the Lair. Venus and Donatello gave each other a look before following. Venus trotted ahead of Don until she was at Leo's side. She didn't feel like talking to his carapace. She cleared her throat before continuing her explanation.

"Leatherhead recommended that I no longer go out on patrol during the pregnancy. Oh, and sparring is out of the question. Tai Chi would not be as strenuous though..." Her voice trailed off when she felt the eldest Turtle's eyes on her. He then draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him to kiss her on the cheek. They all were quiet as Venus shyly ducked her head and Donatello suddenly found the ceiling quite interesting.

Once they all got back to the Lair Donnie couldn't wait to share the news. Raphael smirked and slapped his older brother on the shell really hard.

"Congratulations, Fearless, for being the first of us to knock up a girl. You da man!" Leo snarled and pushed his laughing brother away from him. "Better you than me, bro!"

"Oh, C'mon, Raph! Stop being such an ass!" Michelangelo snapped as he filled Klunk's food dish. Raphael simply gave his little brother the finger in reply. Mikey fumed a bit to himself, not because of Raphael's behavior, but because deep down he wanted to be the one to accomplish what Leo had. He was also frustrated with himself for not having the confidence to even approach Venus. The truth was he had no clue what to say or do and was way too proud to ask for advice.

"Oh man! Wait til April hears about this!" Raph teased as he gently poked Venus' belly. Leo yelled at him to leave her alone which sparked yet another argument between the two brothers. As usual Mei Pei Chi tuned them out. She was busy watching Michelangelo halfheartedly playing with his cat. She wondered why he seemed so down when her Shell Cell rang. She answered right away when she recognized the number.

"Hello, April!" All arguing and teasing ceased at the sound of that name. The guys gathered around Venus to listen in on the conversation. She rolled her eyes and put the Shell Cell on speaker phone.

"Hey, V! Just called to see how you were doing. Casey and I were a little worried when we saw that you weren't eating. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, I am fine."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely. I am just going through a bit of change right now."

"Oh really? What kind of change?" They could all hear the sudden serious tone in April's voice. Venus hesitated answer. She didn't feel right just blurting it out. She was a bit grateful when April did it for her. "V, you're pregnant, aren't you? Am I right or wrong?" The young mutant cringed at the human's accusing tone.

"Uh, y-yes." She frowned at hearing April's heavy sighing.

"Ok, honey, this is umm...Listen, if you need anything we're here to support you. You hear that, guys? I know you're listening. And Leonardo, I trust you to do the right thing." All but Raphael seemed a bit surprised by that comment. "And guys, you make sure to let V get plenty of rest and please don't aggravate her. You hear me, Mikey?" They others snickered at the freckled faced Turtle's 'what-the-fuck?' expression. "Oh, and Venus...thanks for being honest and not hiding this from us until later. We're just a phone call away so don't hesitate to contact us, ok?"

"Yes, ma'am," was Venus' humble reply. She smiled in spite of her apprehension about the whole situation. She was anxious yet relieved that she was surrounded by great support from her family.

For the next couple months the expectant mutant had to find creative ways to occupy her time while the brothers did all they could to protect their loved ones, especially her. Three of the brothers would go out on night patrol while one stayed behind to protect the Lair and the pregnant Venus. They did this in rotations, but it seemed Michelangelo would make the most of his time spent with her. At first glance Mikey wouldn't seem like the deepest person, but Venus could tell he was quite emotionally mature. She noticed how he could read all of their moods with pinpoint accuracy and knew just the thing to say to break any tension. He also seemed to know the right thing to say or do to cheer her up. Of all of the Hamato brothers, Mikey was the sweetest and most attentive to her, even more so than Leonardo. Venus thought it was a shame that his older brothers underestimated his emotional intuitiveness, and learned how to appreciate it herself.

She saw it even more clearly with his impeccable timing whenever one of his brothers came home with an injury or when there was an immediate danger that needed to be dealt with. At one point it appeared the Foot was getting too close to discovering their home. It didn't surprise Venus at all when Mikey came up with a clever way to throw the enemy off their trail. He always presented his ideas in a bumbling way, but she knew it was all an act. When it came to distraction tactics Mikey had Leonardo beaten at times, hands down. The older brothers just didn't fully appreciate it because he was the youngest.

One humid summer day in mid-June Venus was very grateful that Michelangelo was there with her. Around mid-day she started feeling very uncomfortable in her lower abdomen. Mikey picked up on it right away.

"What's wrong, sweetness?" he asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"I'm not sure," Venus responded as she got up from her meditative pose. She felt the sudden urge to go...somewhere. Without a thought she headed for the basking room. Mikey followed close behind as he pulled out his Shell Cell. After it rang several times his brother finally answered.

"What's up, Mikey?" Leonardo was whispering so he figured they must be in surveillance mode.

"I hope you guys aren't about to rumble cuz V is acting kinda weird."

"Weird how?"

"Well, for one thing...she's breathing kind of hard and takin' off all her gear." The blue masked ninja didn't like the sound of that for multiple reasons. "Hold on a second..." For a moment Mikey could hear muffled cries and several quiet thumps. An unfamiliar voice cried out, "What the hell happened to you guys?" right before police sirens could be heard blaring in the distance. Soon the sound of panicked voices were far in the distance and was replaced by splashing footsteps. "Ok, now what's goin' on, Mike?"

"Leo, you guys need to get back quick! I gotta go!"

"Mike, wait! Don't hang up!" But it was too late. His little brother had already shut down his Shell Cell. Leonardo turned to his two younger brothers who had no clue what was going on. "Raph, Don, the police can handle the rest. We're going back to the Lair now!"

"What the fuck's goin' on, Fearless?" Raphael hissed as he broke into a full sprint to keep up with his brother.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that Mike said something is going on with Venus so we need to get home fast." For Leo that was all he needed to know to get him running to her side.

In the meantime, the now stripped down Venus was in the basking room kneeling in the pit she and Donatello had designed in the months prior. She had a feeling what was happening and it terrified her. She didn't know how things were going to turn out. Mikey had figured it out too and had gathered as many blankets he could find. He also scooped up a bucket of water from the pool in the main basking area. By now Venus was on her hands and knees with her legs spread wide. Something clicked in Mikey's mind as he hopped into the pit behind Venus. He dug a shallow hole in the space between her legs then climbed back out. He filled a misting bottle he used to deter Klunk from scratching the furniture with water. He sprayed some of the fluid on Venus' face and neck as she took slow, deep breaths. He rubbed his hands over her shell in comforting circles as she felt as if her insides were slowing being pushed out of her body. She gripped the soft soil in her three fingered hands as she locked eyes with Michelangelo, whose face mirrored her own fear.

"You're gonna be ok, sweetness. Leo and the others will be here soon." Venus simply nodded and put her head down on her hands. Just as she felt another wave of pressure she heard the door burst open. Mike's head snapped up and relief immediately registered on his face when he saw his siblings. Leonardo made a lightning fast assessment of what was happening and began to try to push his brothers out of the room, starting with Mikey. However, the laboring female grabbed onto the youngest brother and shook her head. Raphael could tell Leo was about to go into the irrational zone, so he broke Leonardo's grip on Mike and quickly pushed the eldest against a nearby wall, pressing his arm hard against his chest to limit his movement.

"Get the hell off me, Raph!" Raph didn't back down as he looked his eldest brother in the eye and spoke to him in a calm, even tone.

"Calm down, Leo. No need to cause a scene. Venus is gonna be ok. Just pull yourself together." Leo blinked and took a deep breath. Once he felt his brother relax Raphael backed off of him. Donatello gasped in amazement as he saw what appeared to be a fleshy tube emerge from between Venus's thighs. He gripped his bo in his hand as something creamy-white and round slowly made its way out of the tube. The object landed softly and silently in the shallow hole between her legs. It was about eight inches in diameter and spherical with a leathery shell with light-green, swirling markings.

By now Venus was still gripping Michelangelo's arm so hard he was hoping he wouldn't bruise. She looked up at the others, who could see the moisture in her eyes from the strain. She slowly got up and sat to the side of the shallow nest to take her own first glimpse of what she had birthed. The boys were kneeling on the outer edge of the pit staring at the egg as if an alien ship had landed in their midst.

"Mei-chan, you ok?" Leo asked, not taking his eyes off of the beautiful yet alien looking object. Venus gave a silent nod as she crawled over to gently and carefully mound the loose soil around the egg to keep it from changing position. Both Raphael and Leo offered a hand to help Venus out of the pit. Leo rested a hand on the back of her shell to make sure she was steady on her feet. He then took her to the basking pool and helped her bathe while Mikey watched from the door. Donnie was still staring at the mostly buried egg debating with the scientist in him that wanted to badly to touch it. Raph came over to his still worried looking youngest sibling to give him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

"You did good, Mikey. Splinter would be proud." With a ragged sigh Mikey leaned on his brother as his tears of relief spilled over his cheeks. He was so glad Venus was ok. One thing was on all of their minds. Whether they were ready or not, the new addition to their family was going to rely on them totally for all his or her needs. It was time to put the carefree days of their youth in the past and step into adulthood.

*Next Chapter: The Turtles break the news about the egg to April. The bond between Mike and Venus grows stronger, which gets a rise out of Raph, for some strange reason. Also, a new addition is welcomed into the Hamato Clan.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

About a month and a half had passed since since a mysterious looking, leathery, creamy colored orb entered into the lives of the Hamato clan. There was a sense of unease in the air and the tension among the males had increased for some reason. The one female seemed oblivious to it all, mostly because she spent a lot of time separated from the males. She had gotten into the habit of eating, sleeping, reading and meditating in her nesting area whenever she got the chance. She sat in silent vigil over the spherical egg for the most part. Occasionally she would speak softly to the silent orb, sometimes in Mandarin, expressing how she was looking forward to welcoming him/her into the outside world. She was spending so much time in the nesting area it was causing the others to be concerned, especially Leonardo. More and more often Venus had been neglecting her duties in other parts of the Lair in order to watch over the egg. She refused to let any of the others do so, which gave Leo the impression that she didn't trust them around the egg. He found that a bit insulting since he had fathered the offspring incubating within the pearly shell.

"Maybe I shouldn't have let her see my notes about red-eared sliders," Donatello grumbled, mostly to himself. He wanted so badly to get in there and gather data about the development for future reference. He also wanted to pass on his genes, after all. And the more data he had about this one the better the chances of survival for the next clutch.

"Donnie, would you care to explain that comment of yours?" The currently mask-less Turtle snapped out of his ruminations and looked at the eldest male a bit confused.

"Huh? What comment?" He asked, realizing he must have been thinking out loud.

"About Venus seeing your notes on our species." Leo leaned forward a bit with eyes narrowed at his studious sibling.

"Oh, that! Well, uh...I was researching mating habits and such and stumbled upon a disturbing bit of information..."

"Cut to the chase, Don!"

"Ah! Yes, well, in the wild male red-eared sliders have been known to be...cannibalistic towards their young." Leo's eyes widened in horror. "That's not to say any of us would do such a thing! We are mutants after all, and a lot more evolved..."

"Apparently, Venus doesn't seem to think so...if that's what she's thinking at all. Which I doubt is the case." Donatello gulped under Leo's cold glare. He scratched his head and frowned realizing how presumptuous he as being. He was no mind reader so he had no idea what motivated Venus' behavior. As the two brothers continued their awkward conversation they were interrupted by their youngest brother whistling happily as he walked by with a tray full of food and a glass of water.

"Morning, bros!" he greeted cheerfully as he headed towards another part of the lair.

"Uh, Mikey, where are you going?" Leo inquired out of pure curiosity. He knew what area was in that direction after all.

"To take V some food and somethin' to drink," his bubbly brother answered without skipping a beat.

"But, Mikey, Venus isn't letting any of us..." Donatello was cut off by the sound of the nearby swinging door flapping back and forth. Leo and Don gave each other a baffled look when a gruff voice spoke from the shadows.

"You guys are pathetic. Scared of a girl. Grow a pair, will ya?" Raphael grumbled as he continued his arm curls with a fifteen pound dumbbell. With a sigh he dropped the dumbbell on the floor and stood up once he saw that neither of his brothers were making a move for the door. "Fine. I'll go check it out."

"Raph..." Leo started, but his brooding brother cut him off.

"Just be easy, Leo! I said I'll check it out! Don't worry, I'll be...discreet." Before anyone could protest Raph had also gone through the swinging door. Leo rose from the couch with a frown mumbling "disrespectful" under his breath. He cut his eyes over at Donatello, who saw just a hint of a smirk at the corner of his stoic brother's mouth. A glint of realization sparked in his deep, brown eyes. Soon a sinister, almost evil looking grin spread across Donatello's face as he raised a fist above his head.

"Reconnaissance!" he cheered quietly with glee as he followed the eldest to the basking chamber. They moved in silence until they caught up with Raphael, who was already eavesdropping near the entrance to the nesting area. Using hand signals Raph gave the other two a basic rundown of what he had overheard. He relayed something about temperatures and something else about...sushi? As the minutes passed the three spying siblings were getting kind of bored with the conversation and were about to give up on the 'mission' until it got a little too quiet. They heard some mumbling in a voice that sounded like Michelangelo's. They all flinched when they heard a yelp followed by a flood of apologies from Mikey followed by more silence. Leo and Raph moved closer to the door in order to hear what was going on. That's when Raph heard...was that a moan? He glanced over at Leo for any indication that he heard the same thing, but his older brother's expression was unreadable. He then heard sounds he couldn't identify but for some reason they made him feel very uncomfortable. He had lost his patience with this game and decided to solve the mystery by force. When he stood up and prepared to break down the locked door his brothers tried to stop him, but it was too late.

What followed was utter chaos. Once Raphael got over the initial sight before him his bellowing could probably be heard for miles.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN', MIKEY?"

Leo and Don rushed in at the sound of yelling, cursing, and fumbling around to behold a confusing sight. The nest had been covered partially by a blanket. A pile of blankets laid next to the nesting pit. On top of those blankets laid Venus on her plastron with a humiliated expression on her face. They couldn't get a full view of her because Mikey was kneeling behind her trying to...regain his modesty.

Raphael could feel his blood pressure rising and his ears began to ring. Had what he just saw been for real? And since was Mikey so damn...BIG? Not that he was the type to check out how...well equipped...his brothers were. When his head began swimming with emotion he grabbed his youngest sibling by both arms and yelled at him at the top of his lungs.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO VENUS?" He knew full well what they had been doing yet he was still in a state of disbelief. With a sneer and a rare display of strength, Michelangelo pushed his brother off of him, causing Raph to stumble backwards into a nearby wall.

"I didn't do anything she didn't want. You got a problem with that, Raph?" The red-masked reptile noticed his little brother was standing up straight and puffing out his chest as he approached him.

'Is he...bucking at me? Has Mikey gone fuckin' crazy?' Raph asked himself as he cracked his knuckles, ready to take the hormone driven male down a few notches. Fortunately Leonardo got between the two before things got way out of hand.

"Mike, Raph, just cool down! This is not the time nor the place for a brawl." At the same time Donatello had knelt down next to Venus to check on her. She was sitting up with a blanket wrapped around her. She was visibly shaken and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. Donatello rubbed her shoulder and spoke comforting words. Michelangelo was by her side in seconds, glaring at his brother briefly before taking one of her hands in his. She pulled her hand away as she stood and put some distance between her and the males. She then knelt next to the nest, staring down into the soil filled pit.

The four brothers looked at each other, not sure of what to say or do. Venus continued to avoid their eyes, especially Leonardo's calculating stare. The eldest brother finally broke the silence with the order for his brothers to leave the room.

"But..." Mikey began his protest.

"I said leave! I need to talk to Venus." Amidst angry grumblings and disappointed sighs the younger Hamato brothers reluctantly obeyed. Leonardo knelt next to Venus, who was gently stroking a finger over a tiny exposed part of the egg. He leaned over to touch it too, brushing his hand against the soon to be mother's. After giving each other a shy glance they sat up almost simultaneously, neither of them looking the other in the eye.

"So...how far along are you, Mei-chan?" Venus looked surprised before answering.

"About three weeks, maybe four," she replied as she played with the long braided ends of her light blue mask.

"Does Mikey know?" His blue eyes were cold and devoid of emotion as he crumbled some dark soil in his hand.

"Y-yes. I told him today." Venus bit her lip as she recalled how elated he was by the news. In his excitement he had showered her with much affection. Neither of them were expecting that affection to lead to such passion within moments. In his excitement Michelangelo had failed to consider his girth when he made a bit of an awkward entrance, leading to his many apologies. Such a considerate lover he was after all. Venus didn't realize how much she was blushing by now. Now she was aware of the stern look Leonardo was giving her. She had absolutely no idea how much self control Leo was mustering to deal with this information.

"I'll have to congratulate him," came his cool response as he stood from his seiza position. "Make sure not to over exert yourself and take the supplements Leatherhead provided for you." And with that he left the room. No hug, no kiss, not even a squeeze of the hand. Venus hung her head with a sigh, suddenly feeling very much alone.

After a discussion with Donatello that eased her worries about the males taking turns watching the nest, Venus was relieved that the responsibility wouldn't lay totally on her shoulders. It surprised her that Raphael would even participate in spite of his views of the whole baby situation. Perhaps he was beginning to accept the idea. She certainly hoped so.

She also hoped that things would be less tense among the Hamato household. Unfortunately that was not the case. Throughout the remaining summer months and into the fall Leonardo was pretty much giving her the silent treatment. He did speak, but it was never beyond basic pleasantries or family issues, such as making sure the Lair's security measures were even tighter to ensure the safety of their offspring. There was no more free running over the roof tops or quiet meditation in a secluded section of a park, which for a time led to spiritual release of another sort. No more subtle affectionate touches or any type of flirting or teasing. Venus was beginning to think her first love, her kindred spirit, hated her and it took a great bit of her will not to fall into the pit of despair. Michelangelo's tender attentions also helped, although it just wasn't the same. It wasn't that she didn't love Mikey. She just didn't have the same type of bond she had with Leo. Well, a bond she used to have at least.

She had to admit she did enjoy her dates with Michelangelo. Although she couldn't go out on patrol in her condition, she did appreciate any chance for some fresh air. She also enjoyed his company and the little girl in her enjoyed his doting. What she didn't understand was Raphael's angry attitude towards her. That attitude gave her second thoughts about him watching the nest. When she expressed her concern Raph balked at the idea that he would ever do any harm to an innocent, unborn baby turtle. Venus felt a pang in her heart when she saw the pain in his eyes before he stormed off. She had hurt his feelings and felt awful for even bringing it up. After he returned from his cooling-off time she made sure to sincerely apologize. He seemed skeptical of her at first but eventually accepted her apology.

"Ya know, I owe ya an apology too, V," Raphael muttered while scratching to top of his green, bald head. "I've been actin' like a real jerk towards you lately, and it ain't right. I wanna let ya know that...I don't hate you or nuthin'. I actually like ya...a whole lot. It's just that...all this baby business is takin' a lot of getting' used to, so we all gotta suck it up, pull together and make it work. That includes me." Venus' heart skipped a beat when she saw the look in Raph's eyes she had longed to be directed at her. "You're too nice of a person to be puttin' up with the way I've been actin', so I hope you can forgive me." Venus smiled and nodded. She was practically beaming at the knowledge that at least Raph didn't actually hate her. He was just frustrated by all the rapid changes in their family and wasn't coping very well. However, accepting change was part of maturing, and Raph felt it was about time he fuckin' grew up. Venus was in for another surprise when their conversation ended with Raph giving her a peck on the cheek. She shook her head realizing that in this family you should always expect the unexpected.

In late October (the week before Halloween to be exact) the Jones's minus little June came to the Turtle's lair for a visit. Their daughter was spending the weekend with her paternal grandparents. Casey had brought over some X-Box games to play with his reptilian friends while April came to check on the once again expectant mother. Casey noticed that only Raphael and Leonardo were in the living room area.

"Hey, Raph, where's the rest of the posse?" At first Raph was hesitant to answer, then gave his inner self a 'oh to hell with it, just tell him' nudge.

"They're in the nesting area." That piqued April's interest.

"She laid her second clutch?" the red-head asked as she made her way to the other side of the room.

"Nah, not yet. Don said she's having a little trouble this time...hey, where ya...goin', April?" The human didn't even hear his question, for she was through the swinging door quick, fast, and in a hurry. Once April made it to the nesting area she saw Venus squatting in the pit flanked by a worried looking Mikey and Don. Donatello looked at April with pleading in his eyes.

"She's been laboring way too long, and I don't understand why." Venus was feeling too much discomfort to even speak right now. April instructed the two worried turtles to move aside as she donned a pair of latex gloves she kept in a sealed pack in her purse. She knelt behind Venus and gave her a soft pat on the carapace.

"V, I need you to take a deep breath and relax." As the laboring turtle did so Michelangelo flinched as he watched April literally reach inside of Venus. After a few minutes there was a collective sigh of relief and gasps of surprise as two round eggs settled into the nest.

"Oh well, now we know why she was having so much trouble this time," April huffed as she climbed out of the nest and brushed the soil from her knees. As Donatello slapped a hand against his forehead and sighed with relief and Mikey bubbled with joy that he had fathered twins, Venus was catching her breath. She just wanted to take a bath and take a long nap.

It wasn't long before the busy holiday season had New York bustling even more than usual. Unfortunately it was often accompanied by an increase in criminal activity, which lead to the Turtles foiling several armed robberies. It was frustrating that they couldn't stop all of them, for although they were quite skilled in ninjutsu they couldn't be everywhere at once. The burden of protecting a huge city like New York could get pretty overwhelming even for ninja of their stamina and stature, so they concentrated on protecting the territory where their family and friends resided, especially the territory above and around their precious Lair.

Fortunately things calmed down by late December, much to the Turtles' relief. Cold weather definitely was not their friend so they appreciated staying indoors this time of year. It was particularly peaceful this Christmas season. On the eve of the holiday April and Casey brought the now ten month old June to visit. As usual the Jones' came bearing gifts for their peculiar friends, giving them one of each. This year, however they brought Leonardo two.

"Why two gifts, April?"

"That second one is actually for your baby. He or she should be due any day now, right?"

"Uh, yeah. According to Donnie's calculations, that sounds about right," Leo responded with a warm smile and much gratitude. The Turtles had been preparing for the pending arrival as best they could the past few months with a specially designed crib that Raph and Leo had built together. Donatello had perfected the baby monitoring system he and Venus had discussed and even made adjustments according to the mother-to be's specifications. Mikey had been designing some baby toys under Klunk's watchful eye from on top of the TV. And of course the Jones's donated whatever they could and even enlisted help from family and neighbors. They told them the items were for a needy family that was expecting a new addition any day now.

The Hamatos and Joneses enjoyed a pretty peaceful Christmas Eve for a change. Raph played with little Junie as she bounced on his lap on her chubby baby legs laughing at his crazy faces. Donatello was tinkering with an electronic toy Casey's cousin had bought for June a while back as he conversed with the human about his cousin Sid's latest antics. Mikey concentrated on the finishing touches on a baby toy he had made for the so far unnamed turtle offspring. He had plans for others for his own little ones, but he figured he had plenty of time to create those and give them his own unique artistic flair. Venus showed April the soft animal shaped toys she had crocheted. April was especially impressed with Venus' little turtle. It kind of reminded her or Leonardo.

The aforementioned Turtle was particularly quiet, almost meditative. He didn't engage in much conversation with the others. He silently stroked Klunk's tail as the feline lounged on the back of the couch. He was proud of how excited everyone was about the coming new addition to their clan, yet hoped they would be able to handle the responsibility of safeguarding and nurturing a new life.

Around midnight everyone was winding down for the night. Leo had arrange splinters room as a guest room for the Joneses. It was still a quite cozy, peaceful little space that had the baby, and Casey, snoring in no time. All but two of the Turtles retired to their respective rooms. Venus had yet to break her habit of laying next to her nest to watch over her eggs. She stretched out on her freshly cleaned pile of blankets to observe her clutch with half closed eyes. She was a bit tired from all the holiday preparations and from the weight of concern and anticipation of the pending birth.

She flinched when she felt someone lay down behind her. She relaxed when she quickly realized who it was, though she wasn't expecting this behavior from them.

"You should really get some sleep, Mei-chan. I'll watch over them for you."

"Mhhhn..." Leo's brow raised at that cryptic response. "Do as you wish."

Leo nodded as he cuddled closer to Venus, who shivered as he lightly kissed her on the shoulder. Although their mating season had long passed and her scent was not as strong in the winter months, Leo still longed for the closeness in spite of his aloofness in the past few months. He had seen the hurt in Venus' eyes when he would avoid her. He had finally gotten to a point of admitting he was hurting too. In his mind he was trying to be fair by stepping back to let Michelangelo have his time with her. In his heart he wanted to slam his competition's face into the floor. It took a lot of meditation to control that urge. A whole lot of meditation. He knew he had caused her suffering and wanted to make amends somehow.

"Mei-chan...I'm..." He stopped mid-sentence when he heard an odd sound. "Do you hear that?" Venus nodded and stirred when she realized where the sound was coming from. She sat up and peered down into the nest to see the a stirring in the soil on the south end. When she pushed aside some of the loose topsoil she witnessed a wondrous sight. There was an opening at the top of the large egg where she could see a small, green beak pushing its way out of the shell. Both parents watched in awe as a tiny, three fingered hand pushed out beside the beak, enlarging the opening. Leonardo reached over and touched the little digits, which flinched and pulled partly back into the shell. After a few seconds passed they heard that sound again. It was something between a squeak and a chirp. Leo briefly wondered if he made a sound like that when he hatched when the hand shot out again. This time they saw a whole arm up to the shoulder and the edge of a shell. The baby wriggled and pushed until finally a head popped out.

Venus could hardly contain her delight when she beheld a round, light green face with dark eyes taking in new sights and sounds. The baby blinked its moist eyes as its gaze fell on its parents. Venus bit her bottom lip and gave Leo a look that spoke a thousand words.

"I'll go get some warm water and fresh towels." She nodded in agreement as she reached down to pick up the hatchling, who still wasn't completely out of its shell. She gently cradled the little one in her arms as its father placed damp towels on the changing table. Soon the new mother had the baby completely out of its shell. Together the parents gently and cautiously cleaned the newborn, careful not to damage the yolk sac on the plastron Donatello had warned them about. Of course this wasn't all that easy because of the baby's squirming. After a thorough cleaning and close examination it was determined that the baby was male because of the long, thick tail, flattened shell, and long claws. Leo knew from experience that there would be plenty of claw trimming going on for the rest of his born days.

Now that the little one was all clean the new parents decided that they needed to agree upon a name.

"Well, since it's a boy and you already had a boy's name in mind, I think you should decide, Leo." The young father closed his eyes and took a deep breath before uttering his most favorite and final choice.

"His name shall be...Tokio."

Next chapter: The rest of the gang wake up to an adorable Christmas surprise. Leo and Venus' relationship seems to be on the mend, but no relationship is without its challenges. Also, after seeing Tokio is Raph having second thoughts about having children? And Don and V have a private talk.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It was Christmas morning around 6 am and there was a bit of stirring in the Turtles' Lair. Michelangelo was the first to be digging under the Christmas tree looking for his presents. He could be such a big kid. Donatello was also up, but he was in his lab chatting with a friend of his who was a marine biologist and herpetologist. Her name was Atima Okonkwo and was related to one of the human Acolytes he and his brothers trained with under the tutelage of the Tribunal. Donatello had a feeling Faraji thought Donatello and Faraji's cousin, Atima, would hit it off. Don thought that was odd, considering they were from totally different species. He also thought it even more odd that Atima wasn't disturbed at all by him being a mutant turtle. In spite of all the oddness, Don and Atima did become very good friends, but nothing beyond that. On this Christmas morning he was in his Shell Cell with her seeking advice. He was kind of shy and embarrassed that it was romantic advice and Atima was teasing him a bit about it.

"What are you so uneasy about, Don? Does she have a boyfriend or something?" Don paused thoughtfully as he tried to figure out how to answer that question.

"Actually...she has a couple baby daddies, but that's not an issue," Don finally sort of explained while scratching the tip of his beak. Now it was Atima's turn for a thoughtful pause.

"Why do I get the feeling this conversation is on the edge of some weird territory?"

"Atima, you have no idea," came the Turtle's reply as he chuckled and shook his head.

In the mean time some other family members had shuffled into the living room. Casey was carrying a still sleeping June as April came up behind him yawning.

"Careful, April! Open your mouth any wider and you'll draw flies!" Michelangelo teased as he appeared to be trying to figure out the contents of one of his gifts without resorting to shaking. He was hoping it was something awesome to add to his Justice Force figurine collection and didn't want to shake and break. April slapped him on the back of his bald head as she flopped down on the couch next to Casey.

The still sleepy April leaned against her husband's shoulder as Raphael lumbered into the room doing his little joint popping routine, which the red-head found a bit disturbing. After some loud knuckle cracking he knelt down next to Mikey, who was still organizing gifts by name. Well, trying to find all the gifts with his name, actually. Raphael crouched next to his youngest brother, picked up one of his gifts (the one from Mikey), turned it over a few times them began to shake it.

"Hey, dude! Cut it out before you break it!" without a word Raph stopped shaking the gift and began to unwrap it instead. "Aw, c'mon, Raph! At least wait till the others get here to open presents! Geez!" Raph simply threw a balled up piece of wrapping paper into his brother's face. As Mikey came up with all kinds of colorful names to call Raph Donatello walked into to the living room while talking on his Shell Cell. He chuckled as he waved at the others.

"Atima says Merry Christmas everybody," Don greeted as he stepped over two of his brothers.

"You're talking to my sweet, sexy, chocolate goddess? Lemee talk to her, Don!" Donatello was already holding the phone out of his reach as Mike practically dove for it. After a brief game of keep away Mike tagged Don in his side causing him to lower his arm. Mike quickly grabbed the phone and started talking to Atima in his 'sexy, smooth, R. Kelly' voice, as he called it. Atima was laughing so hard everyone could hear it coming from Don's phone. Soon Donatello was chasing Michelangelo all over the living room while Mike started rapping about 'a turtle in love' with a 'sista with an ass that just won't quit.' His impromptu hip hop style sounded eerily similar to LL Cool J's rap ballad 'I Need Love.'

"That's right, my sexual chocolate, apple bottom beauty! Big Daddy T loves you!" Mikey crooned into the Shell Cell while cradling it in his hands like a lover. By now everyone else in the room was howling with laughter. All except Don, who was thoroughly embarrassed...and little June, who had no clue what was so funny.

"Hey, anybody see Leo and Venus?" Casey asked as Don finally pried his phone out of Mikey's hands. June was on her father's lap chewing on her teething ring.

"They're probably off somewhere bumpin' uglies," came Raph's response. That comment got him a fuzzy slipper tossed in his face. As he laughed and flung the slipper back at April they saw a tall, lean, blue-eyed Turtle holding the infamous swinging door open for a slightly taller, slender female.

"Hey, you two! Merry Christmas!" Casey greeted cheerfully before sharing a look with Raphael, who winked back at his human buddy. It took the others a moment to realize Venus was carrying something that looked like a basket filled with blankets. She was practically beaming as she gently set the basket down on the coffee table. April seemed to be the first to realize what the basket was and what was inside of it.

"What ya got there, sweetness?" Mikey had beaten April to the basket to peek under the blankets. Seconds later his head snapped up and he had such a look of horror.

"What the hell is wrong with you, ya retard?" Raph growled right before getting smacked with another slipper.

"Guys, it's official," Mikey sniffed. "I am no longer the cutest one in this family!" He pretended to break down with dramatic sobbing as he collapsed on the floor. April snickered as she pushed him out of the way to take a look for herself. When she pulled back the top blanket she was greeted by an adorable, little round green face with moist, hazel eyes. The cute yawn followed by a little squeak was what sealed her fate. She was now in love with an adorable baby mutant turtle.

"Oh, Leo, he's so cute! Oh, it is a boy, right?" Leonardo gave an assuring nod. "He's got your handsome looks." The new father couldn't have looked any prouder. "What's his name?"

"Tokio," was his reply, to which Raph responded, "Why am I not surprised?" His brother gave him an irritated look as he looked down into the bassinet. April moved out of the way so Raph could get a better look. He knelt next to the bassinet and gingerly touched a tiny, three fingered hand.

"Hey, there little fella. Welcome to New York. You be sure to be nice and listen to your mom, and don't grow up to be such a prick like your dad." Raph was able to dodge the smack to the head this time. He asked Venus if he could hold Tokio, but she said they all would have to wait until he had absorbed the yolk sack. That made Donatello want to at least examine the baby mutant visually. As Venus carefully pulled the blanket back Leonardo stood over them like a sentinel while Donatello examined the yolk sack at the bottom of Tokio's plastron.

"Not as big as I thought it would be. He may absorb it in a week or so. Is his shell soft?" Don had to ask since the baby was laying on his carapace.

"Yes," Venus nodded. "We're going to have to handle him very delicately."

"Maybe just you should handle him until he absorbs the yolk, V." Leo frowned upon hearing this.

"Are you suggesting that I might hurt my son?" Don looked up at Leo having forgotten he was standing there.

"No, not at all. I just think it's best that he's not passed around by multiple hands while he's so vulnerable."

"Here's an idea. Why don't his mother and I decided who handles _our_ child? That work for you, Don?" The olive skinned mutant was a little disconcerted by his brother's offended tone, and he gulped before bowing out before things escalated into an argument. Verbally sparring with Leonardo on Christmas Day was not Don's idea of a good time.

The exchanging of gifts was an enjoyable time for the Turtles and their extended family. They even got a visit from Leatherhead, who was quite delighted to meet Leonardo and Venus' offspring. Leo's fellow master swordsman, Miyamoto Usagi, even stopped by. He paid proper respects to the proud parents as Leonardo presented his first born. Usagi was glad that Leo's son would have an opportunity to grow under his father's tutelage and care. Usagi had a son himself, but he didn't get a chance to raise him so the boy grew up calling another man father. Of course, Mikey just had to chime in to break the seriousness of the moment.

"Hey, Usagi-san! I got twins on the way! Wanna go see 'em?" Usagi seemed a bit confused by the question, but that didn't stop Michelangelo from taking the samurai rabbit by the arm and dragging him to the nesting area. Donatello smacked himself in the head hoping Mike wouldn't blab to Usagi about who the mother was. Before anyone could say "I'll go stop him," Leo was already through the door. There was a collective sigh of relief.

For the next few weeks there was an atmosphere of excitement mixed with a bit of anxiety in the Lair. Between watching over the nest and caring for little Tokio, Venus was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Donatello was helping with the nest, but he seemed more concerned about gathering data. When he wasn't doing that he was working his tech support job. He knew they were going to need a steady income with more mouths to feed. Mike's entertainment biz wasn't doing too bad either. There was always some kid in Manhattan having a birthday party somewhere so he didn't have much trouble booking gigs. April had hired Leonardo to organize her inventory in her Second Time Around shop, so he wouldn't have to feel guilty about not bringing home any income to help take care of his son. April didn't tell him that though.

Between training, patrolling, and working, the guys didn't have much free time on their hands. That meant that Venus spent a lot of time alone with the baby and the eggs. She was always grateful when Mikey would offer to care for Tokio while she caught up with her training with Leo. She suspected he did it mostly to get out of his own intense training. Leo could be a brutal sensei. But that was alright with her. She wanted to be just as prepared as the guys, if not more so, to protect their little ones from danger. Neither The Foot nor the Purple Dragons had set foot on the Turtle's territory in a while, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen.

In a few weeks Tokio had absorbed his yolk sac and the split in his plastron had healed. It was now safe for him to swim with them in the basking room. Leonardo seemed to enjoy his time swimming and splashing with his son immensely. Venus smiled as she watched them play, stepping over a basking Raphael, who was ignoring Mikey poking at his carapace with his nunchucks. She found Donatello in the nesting area checking the thermometers and looking over the eggs. Venus sat next to him in the seiza position as he wrote down some data. He sighed and tapped his pencil against his notepad.

"Is there something on your mind, Donatello?"

"Yeah. You." Venus gave him a 'what do you mean?' look. "Have you been getting enough rest?"

"Well, yes. I believe so."

"But you don't know for sure?" He noticed her shoulders slumping a bit. "Venus, are you sure you want to continue with this?"

"With what?"

"This whole...motherhood thing."

"Of course I do. I love all my little ones. The one that is here and the ones that are to come. Why do you ask?" Don laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"It just doesn't seem fair that you've given so much of yourself already and we haven't been able to give much in return. I just wish I could do more to help, but between work and Leo's grueling training..."

"Donatello, stop with the guilt already. I appreciate all that you do. I don't feel the least bit slighted at all." Don noticed her smile and the exhaustion in her eyes. He sighed as he gently placed his hand on her cheek. Even in her tired state she looked absolutely beautiful to him.

"You, my dear, have a god-like patience. I promise you I'm going to do whatever I can to lighten the load for you. You deserve it."

Venus blushed as she felt a fluttering in her tummy. Donatello, not being the affectionate type, rarely ever touched her that way. When he noticed her blush Don seemed almost apologetic as he pulled his hand away. Venus shook her head and kissed him lightly on the beak as a way of telling him it was ok for him to touch her. Donatello felt heat rising in an area other than his face, shot up and headed for the door claiming he had to take care of some files on his computer.

The young mother laughed inwardly at his sudden shyness. She now had a determination to bring the introverted Turtle out of his shell.

Next Chapter: Donatello and Venus have their first date, but not before a warning from Leo and Mike. Venus sees another side of Don she never expected.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Donatello was a thinker. His brain was constantly going non-stop. It was like a super absorbent sponge soaking up all kinds of information, which he would analyze, synthesize, break down, put together, and turn inside out and back again. Donatello could pretty much figure out anything. Except for the ever baffling enigma of the female psyche. He also couldn't figure out for the life of him why he couldn't get one particular female out of his brain. His brain went through so many twists and turns trying to unravel the mystery of Mei Pieh Chi. On the surface she appeared so meek, poised, and disciplined. Yet there were moments where she could be so stubborn, especially when challenging Donatello's knowledge of science and technology. And then there were the times in battle when she was downright dangerous and frightening. He was glad she was on their side.

Don had pretty much learned to deal with those aspects of her personality. However there was one particular trait that unnerved and excited him all at once. Her flirting. She could be very covert with the subtle touches on his neck as she looked at his computer monitor over his shoulder. Then there were the overt moments when she would hug him, or the rare moment that she kissed him. He touched his beak as he reminisced for the memory was still fresh. That kiss caused a stir in him he had not experienced with any other female. Yes, there was a time when he had a major crush on April, and there were a few other females who made him blush. However none of them caused his pulse to race like Venus. There was something about her that he found extremely sexy, even though he doubted she was even trying to be so. She just was.

To top all of that off, Donatello was conflicted about his feelings toward Venus. He had been in some serious denial for a long time, and it took him years to admit the twinge of jealousy he felt when he saw her and his oldest brother growing closer. It all really came to a head for him when it was revealed that his youngest brother, of all Turtles, had gotten her pregnant...with twins at that! Don felt like he was losing a fight although he hadn't thrown his hat into the ring. It frustrated him that he could tell there was a mutual attraction, yet he kept pulling away from her. At times he would literally flee from her because she had him so flustered.

Now he was in a situation where he couldn't run. He was facing Venus on the rooftop of an unfinished building with his bo at the ready. Venus was casually swinging her kusarigama (sickle with chain) while looking quite ravishing. Raph stood off to the side holding his right hand in the air. When Raphael cut his hand through the air like a knife as a sign to begin the spar, Donatello got a sinking feeling in his gut.

'If I beat her, what if she ends up thinking I'm a brute? And if she beats me, what if she loses all respect for me as a ninja? Or even a man? Damn, I am so screwed either way!' he fretted as he defended himself from a frontal assault. Their sparring looked more like dancing than fighting. And Donatello could have sworn he saw a flirty smile on her face as she wrapped her chain around his bo and pulled. He countered her movement by twisting his bo, jerking her to the side. She managed to keep her grip. Seconds later he felt something soft slap against his face causing him to flinch and blink. The next thing he knew he felt a force pushing him back on his carapace, and all he could see was inky night sky and smooth green thighs. Venus was smiling down at him while straddling his face. He jerked his arms upwards as he caught a whiff of her feminine scent.

Venus flipped backwards and stood to face Donatello once again, weaponless for her kisarigama was still wrapped around Don's bo. To her surprise Donatello quickly conceded defeat, ran to the ledge and jumped off. Venus stood there looking quite confused while Raph laughed so hard he was holding his sides.

About twenty minutes later Raphael and Venus made it back to the Lair. Venus noticed that her kisarigama was hanging over the entrance to the Lair. "I don't get why he's trying to save face. He won the spar," the red-clad mutant grumbled as he retrieved the weapon and handed it to Mei Pieh Chi. "Then again..." He started to snicker when he recalled the look on his brother's face before he bolted from the rooftop. He had to admit Venus' stunt would have caught him off guard too. He ceased his laughter when he thought of what Donatello might be doing to relieve his tension. Venus didn't even bother to ask Raph to explain his look of disgust as she entered the Lair.

When she got to the living room Leo was on the couch tickling Tokio while speaking to the baby in Japanese while Mikey watched _Family Guy. _Donatello was nowhere in sight. Raph took off his mask then snapped it against the back of Mike's head, causing the youngest sibling to yelp in surprise. Mike started to throw the remote at his brother then thought that wouldn't be a good idea, so he channel surfed instead. Raph then scooped little Tokio into his arms and within moments had the baby Turtle laughing ans squeaking with delight at his crazy faces and 'monster' noises. Leo chuckled and shook his head as he settled back on the couch.

"So, did you guys have a good run?" the clan head asked the young mother.

"It was...adequate. It felt good to get out for some fresh air, so I do thank you for watching Toki-chan." Leo waved off her thanks. It was his son so watching him was part of his responsibilities. Mikey was too busy staring at the TV like a zombie to hear what Venus said.

"I noticed that Don got back before you two. Everything ok?" The head Hamato wondered if Don had a super geek out moment that got so annoying they sent him on ahead. "As far as I know, yes. Where is he anyway?" Venus began twirling the braided ends of her mask.

"Lab," came Mike's terse response as he continued to stare at the TV screen while slurping a soda very loudly. Venus nodded and tip toed to the lab determined to find some explanation for Don's odd behavior. When she entered the lab Don was talking softly on the phone while doing something on the computer. He seemed unaware that someone else had come into the room.

"You really think she would like that?" Don asked while pressing his Shell Cell to his ear. "Oh, wow. You would do that for me? I don't know what to say. I'll think of something nice to do for you. You sure you won't get in any trouble? Ok. That does sound pretty romantic and fun. Think you can have it set up by then? Perfect! I...gah!" Don nearly fell out of his chair when he spun around to see Venus sitting right next to him smiling sweetly. "H-hey, V. How's it going?"

"Oh, just peary."

"That's peachy." Venus ignored his correction and continued.

"So, planning a romantic night out with Atima?" Don cleared his throat and shook his head. He looked like he would take off any second. "It sounded like you were planning something pretty special."

"Uh...yeah, pretty much." Don seemed to take great interest in a ball of lint on the floor before he spoke again. "Um, Venus, do you have any plans for...Valentine's Day?"

"None that I can think of. Why?" He shifted his gaze from the floor to her face. He thought her curious look and slightly tilted head looked very cute.

"W-would you like to go to the aquarium with me? J-just the two of us?" Don flinched expecting to be totally shut down.

"That sounds like great fun. I would be honored to go with you." Don began to relax as his face lit up with a smile. "Ah...that's great! I'll let Atima know she can proceed with arrangements for a private tour."

"Sounds good. I'm looking forward to it, Donatello." By now Don was beaming until a certain realization melted the smile from his face. 'Damn! If Leo finds out about this he's gonna kill me!' Just as he felt a panic attack coming on he choked back a scream when he saw aforementioned turtle leaning against the door frame. He could feel those stern blue eyes boring into his very being. Don felt like shrinking into his shell. Leo's gaze never wavered as he pulled up a chair next to his brother.

"Can I talk to you for a second, brother?" Uh oh. Any time Leo addressed him as 'brother' Don knew there was going to be trouble. With a weak smile Don nodded an affirmative, as if he had a choice. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with Venus."

"You helped it, alright. It's called eavesdropping..." the brainy brother muttered.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing," Don responded with a shrug of his shoulders. He cringed when Leo patted him on a shoulder.

"Don, Don, Don...do you have any idea what you're getting into?" The purple-masked Turtle winced as his older brother squeezed his shoulder. "You think you know Venus, don't you. I have to admit she can be such a sweetheart most of the time, but I must warn you..." Leo leaned in really close and looked the now very uncomfortable Don dead in the face. "Mei Pieh Chi is a cock tease. You may start out holding the reins but if you're not careful she'll...bring out the animal in you. I used to think she didn't realize what she was doing, but after we had..." Don squealed and slapped his hands over his ears.

"T.M.I., Leo! I get your point. Heh, heh. Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mind."

"Good." Leonardo patted a now profusely sweating Don on the shoulder and left the room. Before Donatello could sigh in relief Michelangelo rose up from behind the computer desk like some sort of green apparition grinning from ear to ear.

"Psst, Don! Com'ere! I gotta tell you somethin'!" Donatello rolled his eyes as Mikey leaned in close to make sure his brother could hear what he had to say. "Just in case things get hot an heavy on your date, there's this thing V does with her tongue that'll make your toes curl! And if she starts licking her lips you know things are about to get really good! Giggety!" That being said Mikey gave Don a thumbs up and morphed into the shadows. The exasperated Hamato brother laid his head on his desk with a groan hoping his siblings wouldn't dare to follow him on his date with Venus.

Valentine's day came the following week and Donatello was a nervous wreck. The Turtles spent most of the day indoors to avoid the freezing weather topside. Venus had been up all morning making sure her son was fed, bathed, and changed. After laying the baby down for a nap and checking over the nest, she stopped by her bedroom before heading to the dojo. The brothers were finished with katas for the second time that day. Everyone but Leonardo. He had his eyes closed as he moved his bokken fluidly and meticulously, always working to reach perfection in his technique. Don and Mike were reading over a scroll for water techniques while Raph...picked his teeth with his sai. Always the rebel, that one. They all stopped what they were doing when the door to the dojo slid open to reveal Venus smiling warmly at them with her hands behind her back. She went over to each of them to plant a kiss on their cheeks and hand each one of them a crocheted Valentine heart bearing the kanji for love.

"I got all of your gifts in my room, and I thank you much. I hope you like yours." Venus giggled as Michelangelo hugged her. He had given her a small box of chocolates. Leonardo had written her a love haiku on a wall scroll painted with cherry blossoms. Raphael gave her an adorable stuffed panda, and Donatello gave her a Fruits Basket DVD wrapped in a pretty red bow. A Turtle girl couldn't ask for more for Valentine's day.

As 9 PM approached Donatello found him both looking forward to and dreading his date with Venus. He wanted her to enjoy herself. That was definitely important to him. But there was also a part of him that wanted things to go a particular way without making him seem like a sex crazed jerk. He kept praying to whatever gods would listen that he not mess this date up.

He and his date dressed in their winter clothing and headed out into the tunnels. Once they got to the surface they got into a van Casey had fixed up for them months ago. It was black with tinted windows so it wouldn't stand out. It allowed the Turtles to drive around the New York streets without calling attention to themselves. Once Leo gave it his ninja stamp of approval they were good to go with transportation. It took about twenty minutes for Don to drive them to the aquarium, where Atima was waiting for them. He parked out back as per the human's instructions. Dr. Okonkwo greeted them and let them in the back door.

"I'm glad you two could make it. I made sure you'll have the east wing all to yourselves. That is where the sea turtle exhibit is. Just don't go beyond the velvet ropes. Have fun!"

As the two young mutants walked hand in hand looking at amazing creatures of all kinds hailing from the depths of the ocean, Donatello found himself relaxed and comfortable as they chatted about the resplendent beauty around them. They both grew quiet when they reached the main part of the exhibit in the lower levels of the aquarium. They were in a huge glass tunnel teaming with life. They watched as a particularly magnificent looking sea turtle swam above them at its own leisurely pace. There were quite a few other sea turtles swimming along beside them among the many exotic and colorful fish in the immense tank.

Donatello worked up the courage to put an arm around Venus as they ad mired the graceful beauty of their distant kin. When she didn't show signs of pulling away he got a little bolder and began to nuzzle his beak against her cheek. He then turned her face towards him and took his chance to lean in for a kiss. The thinking part of Don kicked in for a moment to analyze the taste of chocolate on her mouth. He quickly told that part of him to be quiet and enjoy the moment. He chuckled inwardly when he saw a young sea turtle watching them out of the corner of his eye.

When Donatello felt Venus' tongue in his mouth he immediately understood what Mikey had warned him about. It was subtle but he could feel her very gently sucking on his tongue. It was driving him crazy and he knew something had to give soon when he felt that uncomfortable feeling in his slacks. They finally slowly broke off the kiss to stare silently into each other's eyes. They both knew where this was going and there was no turning back. "Venus, would you like to...go someplace more private?" She bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Ok. I know the perfect place..."

Next Chapter: Don has a surprise for Venus he's kept secret from the others. Venus finally gets Don to open up to her in a wonderful, beautiful way.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was about 12:30 in the morning when Donatello and Venus' date at the aquarium came to an end. Atima opened the back doors to let them out. She made sure the coast was clear before stepping aside.

"I surely hope you two enjoyed the exhibit," the African woman whispered as Venus squeezed past her out of the door.

"Oh, yes! The sea turtles were absolutely gorgeous, and the bubbling noises from the fishtanks were quite soothing." As his date stepped out into the brisk winter air Donatello paused to give his fellow scientist a hug.

"Thanks, Atima. I really appreciate this." The mahogany skinned human squeezed him right back.

"Anything for a friend, Donnie."

The mutant pair headed back to the hidden tunnel entrance they used as a garage. Don parked the van and went around to the passenger side to open Venus' door for her. That was the gentlemanly thing to do after all. They headed towards the Turtles subterranean lair hand in hand, however Venus noticed Donatello had taken a slight detour to head north instead of west.

"Uh, Donatello, home is back that way."

"I know," Don replied with a squeeze of her hand. He glanced over at her before revealing a small opening in a nearby wall. "I'm about to show you something, but before I do you have to promise to keep this between me and you." Venus hesitated. She didn't like the idea of keeping secrets from the others. Ninja and shinobi did indeed keep lots of secrets, but usually not within the clan.

"Will keeping this secret do undue harm to the others?"

"Absotively posilutely not." She could see the sincerity in his eyes, so she agreed. After he wriggled through the hole in the wall she followed. It was pitch black on the other side. Donatello pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on then bid his female companion to follow him. Venus held on to Donatello's coat as they seemingly meandered through the maze of tight tunnels. Soon the path widened into an open area dense with electrical wires running along the ceiling. Don took his date by the hand, opened a small panel, and punched in a six digit code. There was a hiss when a door opened a few feet away. Once they were through the door Donatello closed it behind them and switched on the lights.

To her surprise Venus observed what appeared to be a humble living space. It was very much like a loft apartment with a kitchen, dining room, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. There was even a small office space in a corner with filing cabinets and a computer with a flat screen monitor.

"Welcome to my bachelor pad, my dear." Donatello bowed deeply before leading her further into the area.

"Donatello, how and when did you...?"

"I used some of my bonus money from work to order supplies small enough to sneak down here. I found the larger items in junk yards and illegal dumping grounds, throughly cleaned them and repaired them for optimum performance. There's not much here, but there doesn't have to be. It's my own space. Took me about six months to put it together just how I wanted, but it was worth it."

"It's lovely, Don, but why did you build such a place?" Venus inquired as she sat down on his extremely comfortable sofa as Donatello removed his winter coat and hung it on the back of a dining room chair.

"Well, to tell the truth," Donatello began as he sat down next to her, "I put this space together because unlike the others I like having some privacy when it comes to certain things. I've been planning to build this place ever since we had our discussion about...our future." Don scooted closer to her and put his arm around Venus' shoulder. "You've probably figured out that I want to spend some one on one time with you. Unlike the others, I do mind the lack of many walls in the Lair and walking in on you and Mikey was not my idea of a good time. Besides, you'd prefer not to worry about any interruptions, wouldn't you?"

"Hmm...you do have a point," Venus responded with a coy smile. Don was getting that feeling in his nether regions again, but he was determined to set the pace. His male ego demanded it.

"Why don't you make yourself comfortable, milady? I have the temperature control on so you don't need the coat...or any of those clothes for that matter." Don's face now bore his own coy smile. Venus removed her winter jacket while thinking Don's flirting was adorable, even if it did need a little work.

Soon the two mutants were in their usual unclothed state while cuddling on the couch. Venus talked about her favorite part of the aquarium tour while Donatello got a little bolder with his busy hands.

"Donnie, has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful facial features?" That question caught him off guard and the bo staff wielding Turtle found himself blushing once again.

"Well, kinda. April once told me I was a pretty boy with brains." He was ashamed to say it, but his face didn't display as many battle scars as his brothers', him being the least aggressive one. Raph had the most since he was always looking for fights, and Leo was in a close second for often putting himself in the line of fire to protect his family.

"She is right." Venus brushed a hand across his cheek. "The markings on your skin, while subtle, are lovely in an almost artistic way. Your eyes are deep an clear. I believe that's what is called bedroom eyes. And your smile could melt any girl's heart. If there was such a thing as a male turtle supermodel you'd top the list." Her compliments had given him a real ego boost. He was about to ask her if she thought he was better looking that Leonardo, but changed his mind. He figured that would ruin the mood. That's when he remembered Leo's warning about Venus taking the reins with her flirting to manipulate him sexually. Venus noticed his sudden change in expression and it didn't take her but a second to figure she had been found out.

Without a word Donatello had her on her back on the sofa. Venus looked up at him, wide-eyed, not sure what to expect. The male mutant smiled, knowing that he once again had the situation under control. Venus gasped as Don laid on top of her and gave her a few love nips on the neck. His busy hands got back to work pulling her towards the middle of the sofa and spreading her legs. When it came to performing Donatello was always one to savor the details. It turned out he had the same attitude towards sex. He paid attention to every pleasurable sound Venus as he explored every square inch of her body, making note of her sensitive spots.

Although this was Donatello's first time he didn't feel the least bit nervous. He had been fantasizing about this moment so much and he was so turned on he didn't have time to be nervous. Venus couldn't help but giggle when the amorous male started nibbling on her inner thighs. She was reminded of the fact that she was dealing with a ninja when Donatello flipped her into a sitting position with her knees up to her shoulders, fully exposing her sex. The female shinobi silently thanked the gods she was extremely flexible.

Without being told to, Venus slipped her hands behind her knees allowing Don to free his hands to explore her body further. He knelt between her legs with a look of intense concentration as he stuck his finger in his mouth. Venus whimpered as he slid his wet finger inside of her and twisted and wiggled his digit. After a few minutes he slipped his finger out. Venus' eyes grew wide as he put his finger in his mouth and licked it clean. Neither Leonardo nor Michelangelo had ever done anything like that to her. This was turning out be be quite interesting, so she watched to see what he would do next.

Donatello chuckled softly as he pulled Venus towards him then dipped his face between her legs. Venus watched in delighted astonishment as Don pushed his thick tongue inside of her. Neither Leo nor Mikey had ever done this either. This was turning out to be such a treat. This new sensation was giving her such a wonderful feeling. She began stroking the top of his head as he growled softly, pushing his tongue further inside of her. By now Venus was so excited she could feel a change in the flow of her chi. It was beginning to center in her lower abdomen which meant only one thing. She was close to reaching her peak.

_'How? How did he get this good?'_ she wondered as she get closer and closer to the edge. But before she could experience her release Donatello sat up. Before she could get upset over him teasing her like that he leaned in to kiss her, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She lost herself in the kiss, tasting some of her female essence on his exploring tongue. Her mind was in such a sexual haze she didn't realize Donatello slowly pushing inside of her until he was half way in. She shuddered as he moaned into her mouth as he pulled her closer until their bodies were locked together. Venus was startled when Donatello suddenly stood up, and then she wrapped her arms and legs around him. She cried out when she slid down slightly causing Don to push into her to the hilt. As he walked over to the bed each step he took made his member bump against her insides. Once he laid her on the bed they both knew play time was over.

For the next hour there were no words between them. Neither of them got lost in their thoughts. It was pure primal lust. At one point when they changed positions Donatello noticed Venus had a look on her face daring him to do something outrageous. She must have released some shinobi power in that look because Donatello couldn't hold back any longer. For a few minutes they laid on the bed locked together panting. Donatello had the biggest smile on his face as he rolled off of Venus. After she was able to catch her breath Venus was finally able to speak.

"Donatello, that was amazing!" she praised breathlessly. "But how...did you get so good?" He looked over at her with an almost evil smirk.

"Ancient ninja secret." He chuckled when she lightly punched his arm. He slipped his hands behind his head looking quite self satisfied. "Not bad for a first date, huh?"

"Not at all." She snuggled up to his side and kissed him on the corner of the mouth. "So, you want to shower and turn in for the night...or go for round two?" Don sucked his teeth and shook his head.

"Venus de Milo, you naughty, naughty shinobi. Of course the answer is...round two."

Next Chapter: Someone is not happy about Don keeping Venus out all night. And when I say not happy, I mean super pissed. Also, twins!


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_AN: There is one person in Guernsey who has been faithfully reading this story, but this person never leaves a review. I would like to know where Guernsey is and if that's where Guernsey cattle come from. Oh, and thank you , lone Guernsey person for following this story. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far. I truly enjoy the feed back. As for my previous formatting problem, it has been resolved. Now on with the story. _

It was around 6 a.m. and Donatello woke feeling like he was floating on a cloud. He looked to his left to see Venus sleeping beside him and smiled.

'_So this is what it's like to wake up from the best night ever,'_ he mused as he sat up and stretched. He leaned over to kiss Venus on the temple before heading to the shower, humming happily to himself all the way. Eventually Venus woke up in bed alone and immediately started looking for Donatello. While wiping the sleep from her eyes she followed the sound of running water. Once in the bathroom she heard Don turn off the water before he opened the glass door. With an outstretched hand and a sweet smile he asked Venus to join him in the shower. That led to round three of some slippery, wet fun.

After Donatello secured everything in his secret bachelor pad the pair headed back to the Lair wearing their winter clothing. Despite it being morning topside the tunnels were still pretty dark. The Turtles knew their way by heart so that was not an issue. Both mutants were blissfully unaware of what was waiting for them at home. When they entered the Lair they didn't see anyone else up, so they began to remove their winter garb.

As Venus took off her hooded cloak she sensed something that made her feel uneasy. There was something in the air, like an oppressive heaviness wroth with negative emotion. She looked over at Donatello to see if he sensed it too, but he seemed totally oblivious. When Venus headed towards her room she paused when she realized there was someone laying on the couch. It was Leonardo with Tokio laying across his chest fast asleep. The young shinobi shivered a bit as she noticed Leo's cold glare.

"Ohayo gozaimasu. Welcome back." Venus bowed quickly and politely as she returned Leo's greeting. She reached down and picked up her sleeping baby and gently rested his head on her shoulder. She turned away from Leo for his glare was making her very uncomfortable. "So, how was your tour at the aquarium, Mei-chan?"

"It was wonderful! The rest of you should definitely go to see the sea turtle exhibit. Atima said it will be here well into April so there is plenty of time..." Her voice trailed off as she felt as if she was babbling. "I...I'm going to put Tokio to bed."

"Yeah, you do that, Venus." Leonardo slowly sat up as Venus rushed out of the room with the baby. His cold, blue eyes now rested on his brother. "So, brother, what time did the tour end?"

"Oh, around 12:30," Donnie replied, not realizing that he had opened up a can of worms.

"Oh really? You do know it's almost 7:30, right?" Leonardo growled as he grabbed Donatello's arm, swung him around, then pushed him into a wall. Leo pressed one arm against his shorter brother's throat and his eyes narrowed with menace. "Where were you two all that time?" he practically hissed. Don's eyes were wide as saucers until his shocked expression melted into one of great annoyance.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Don spat back in a cocky tone. That just pissed Leonardo off even more and he pressed his muscular arm against his brother's throat a little harder, causing Donatello to gag a little.

"What were you two doing?" By now Leo was scowling like an angry gargoyle.

"You really want to know, don't you? I bet it's eating up inside. For your information, Venus and I had some incredible, mind blowing sex!" The now defiant bo wielding Turtle gasped when Leo punched him in the gut. His oldest brother backed away as Donnie held his stomach.

"How could you? Even after I warned you! I gave you that information so you could resist her, not take advantage!" By now Donatello had regained his balance and sneered over at his brother.

"So your saying I should have asked your permission to seduce her? What bullshit! You're just pissed cuz I've challenged your position as the Alpha Male! Well, it's not my fault I'm tens times the lover you are!"

In a flash Donatello felt the wind knocked out of him. The next thing he knew he was on the floor on his back with Leo sitting on top of him. The incensed leader had his fist cocked over his younger brother's face. His whole body quaked as he held back his fury.

"Now listen here, you cocky little piece of shit! You may think you're real special because you got to enjoy Venus' body, but know this..." Leonardo leaned in really close with a look in his eyes that Donatello found absolutely terrifying. "...Venus' heart belongs to _me_!"

Around the same time April was up with her daughter, June. The 11 month old was sitting on her play mat watching a Y_our Baby Can Read_ DVD April had ordered when April's cell phone rang. The human mother chuckled at her daughter excitedly slapping the image of a cat on the TV screen as she answered the call. The smile was wiped from April's face when she heard the caller sobbing. At first April couldn't tell who it was but she soon realized it was Venus. She sounded like she was utterly devastated.

"Venus, sweetie, what's wrong?" April's heart was breaking just hearing her choking on her own tears. It took Venus a while to get herself together enough to be able to speak. "Honey, please tell me what happened." April's voice had a soft, motherly tone that Venus always found so comforting.

"L-Leo...and I...we..."

"Did you two have a fight?"

"Y-yes." She had a fit of hiccups until she got herself together enough to speak again. "He t-told me that I should stop acting like such a...slut."

"Leo said that to you? Why would he say such a terrible thing?"

Before Venus could answer April heard a whole lot of cursing and arguing in the background followed by some banging on a door. The female turtle asked her human friend to hold on a moment. There were a few more cross words before April heard another familiar voice on the line.

"Yo, April."

"Hey, Raph. Is everything ok over there?"

"It will be as soon as I find out what the hell's goin' on. All I know is that crazy ass Don and Leo woke me out of my sleep and poor Venus is here crying her heart out! I know one thing. Once this is straightened out I'm gonna kick a couple Turtle's asses for makin' her cry like this. I'm surprised they didn't wake the baby!"

"Things sound a little calmer over there."

"I think Don retreated to his room and Leo's probably stalking the hallway. He can be so psycho at times. But don't worry. Things are under control."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. We'll call if we need anything. I think we'll be ok, though."

"All right. Give V a big hug for me."

"Will do. Thanks April."

After he got off Venus' Shell Cell Raphael gave the distraught female a one armed hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm not sure what happened here but you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I know my brothers can act kinda crazy at times, but try not to let it get to ya." Venus responded with a weak nod. Raph admonished her to lay down and get some rest. He draped her comforter over her and gave her one last kiss on the cheek before turning off the light. As he headed back to his room he shook his head. He felt another family meeting coming on.

Later that morning Leo was awakened by Tokio crying. He groggily stood up and went over to the crib. He saw that his son still had his eyes closed and realized that he was crying in his sleep. He was about to pick the baby up when his Shell Cell went off. He answered it with his left hand while he patted Tokio on the carapace.

"Moshi moshi."

"What's mushy, Leo? You having oatmeal for breakfast?"

"Hey, Casey. What's up?" Leo thought it was odd Csey was calling him instead of Raphael.

"Well, I got home from work and April was pretty upset about something. Told me you and Venus had a fallin' out, so I'm callin' to see if everything is ok."

"I guess so."

"You don't sound too sure, buddy. So what happened?"

Before Leo could answer Venus came into his room, walked over to the crib, pushed Leo to the side with her hip, then picked up the baby and walked out. The whole time she avoided eye contact with Leo.

"Casey, I have brought down the wrath of the goddess with my foolish words. I don't know how I can appease her. I'm such a fuckin' idiot!" he exclaimed as he slammed his fast into the wall above the crib.

"Take it easy, Leo. It's not the end of the world. I have fights with my wife now and then. We've said some pretty crazy stuff to each other, believe me. But after we've had a chance to cool off we come together again. We're always gonna love each other, and I think the same of you and your wife."

"What did you just say?"

"C'mon, Leo. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I see how you look at each other and the way you two act. You act like a friggin' married couple. You ever consider makin' it official?"

"Like with a ceremony?"

"Yeah. Exactly."

"Casey, it's not like we can walk into a court house or a temple and get married. We're kinda _not human._"

"Nobody suggested anything like that. Why don't you come up with your own special ceremony? You're good with formal stuff like that, right? As for the proposal, you guys have really fat fingers so a ring is out of the question. Maybe you should go with a necklace or even a bracelet."

"Seems like you put a whole lot of thought into this, Casey."

"Look, are you in love with Venus or not?"

"Of course!"

"So if you're gonna show her you might as well go all out. Trust me, that'll get her attention. So will you at least think about it?"

"Yeah, but first things first. I need to apologize to her. I feel like such an ass for what I said to her. I'm never going to let my anger get out of control like that again."

"Now you're talkin', buddy! Well, I gotta go. Junie has a doctor's appointment. Good luck with your wifey." Leo chuckled and shook his head.

"Thanks, Case. Later."

Leo found Venus at the dining table feeding their son some baby cereal with little bits of pineapple. Tokio had dropped his egg tooth over a month prior and was developing faster than a human baby. At two months he was already eating semi-solid food and sitting up on his own. He also had a mouth full of teeth, which his uncle Raph had discovered when Tokio bit him one day.

Leo greeted two of his brothers as he brushed the back of his hand against Venus' cheek. He ignored Donatello glaring daggers at him and noticed Michelangelo wasn't there. He figured Mikey was hovering over the eggs like a mother hen. He had been doing that a lot lately, and he kept insisting that he heard sounds coming from the eggs. No one else, not even Venus, heard anything so they just left the issue alone.

Before he headed to the kitchen Leo asked his mate if she wanted him to fix her anything to eat. She shook her head no and kept feeding the baby. Still no eye contact. With a sigh Leonardo went to brew himself some herbal tea and fix some toast with strawberry preserves. He could tell Venus was still pretty mad at him, and he couldn't blame her.

Leonardo spent most of the day trying to get some alone time with Venus so he could talk to her, but she was having none of it. She managed to find other things to do besides listen to him. Leo decided to have the patience to let her anger subside before initiating anything. For the next few days tension hung in the air among them while Venus gave Leonardo the silent treatment and Donatello gave him nasty looks and snide remarks. Raphael was getting annoyed with all three of them.

"Look, I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you three, but I wish you would get it together and start acting normal soon." Venus was being very standoffish and Leo and Don looked like they would come to blows any minute. Leave it to Mikey, the Sunshine Turtle, to part the cloudy mood with enthusiastic positivity as he burst through the swinging door.

"Guys, you gotta come see this! I think the twins are trying to hatch!"

Soon the entire Hamato clan was gathered in the nesting area. Mikey was a ball of giddiness when he saw a little beak poking out of the egg on the north end of the nest. They could see movement in the other egg but the infant turtle hadn't broken through. It didn't take long for the first twin to push out of the shell and try to climb out of the nest. Mikey scooped up the baby to look it over. It had light green skin with bright yellow stripes and red marking on each side of its head. The tail was short and there were no ridges on the rear scutes. This one was a little bigger than Tokio was when he first hatched. It was determined that this little one was a girl. While Mike and Don cleaned her up Venus lifted the second twin out of the nest. This little one was all flailing limbs, wide eyes, and the spitting image of its father. The long tail and the extra long claws were a dead giveaway that this one was a boy. Venus held the infant up for Tokio to see. Tokio leaned over, sniffed, then wrinkled up his nose.

The young mother laughed at his response as Donatello called her over to give him the readings on the thermometers. Mikey was absolutely thrilled about his beautiful babies and called the Joneses to tell them the news.

"I'm so happy for you , Mikey!" April was practically cheering, knowing full well how much Michelangelo was looking forward to the twins hatching. "What did you name them?"

"I named the girl Gidget, cuz she's such a cutie pie and I always thought that name was cute. And the boy's name is Milan. I think that's a city in Europe somewhere. Anyway, I make really cute babies!"

"I'm not surprised at all. Just let us know when we can drop by to see them."

"I will!"

Venus smiled at Mikey's enthusiasm over the babies. She sighed inwardly as she considered how she was going to adjust her daily routine to care for three babies. Being a mother, whether human or mutant, was quite a challenge.

Next Chapter: Leo and Venus try to heal their wounded hearts together, but Don is not helping with his own erratic behavior. Raph has some words for his younger brothers and a warning for Leo.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It was the end of February and a whole year had passed since the arrival of little June Angelica Jones. The festivities were well underway in the Jones household. Casey had rented party space in a place called Gymboree so both sides of the family could celebrate in the warm indoors. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins young and old showed up for the celebration. One non-human family member was able to join in the fun via his kids' entertainment business. If there was a child's birthday party going on the twenty-year-old mutant was usually on it like mustard on a hot pretzel.

Little Junie was a lucky little girl to have such loving family of humans and mutants alike, for after this public celebration there would be a private, and very much secret party at another time and location. At that very moment the Hamato clan was preparing for the pending event. Raphael and Casey had winterized the van earlier that month in preparation for a trip to the country. April and Casey had fully renovated Casey's grandmother's old farmhouse the previous summer. The house was far from any main roads and deep in the woods so they all could count on the privacy.

Venus was very excited about the trip since it would be her first time going to the farmhouse. It would also be the first time the Turtles had brought any of their offspring outside of the Lair. Leo and Don had been helping her make sure there was plenty of warm clothing for the little ones, and the Joneses

provided cars seats for all three Turtle babies.

The following Sunday evening the Hamato clan was all geared up for their trip. While his younger brothers loaded their van Leonardo knelt before a rare, and precious photo of their late sensei and father. He prayed for Splinter's spirit to watch over them on their journey. When he ended his prayer the incense embers glowed unusually bright for a brief second before he extinguished them. Leo thought that was odd but chalked it up to Splinter acknowledging his request.

Michelangelo was loading Klunk's cat carrier on the very back seat of their van when Leo got to their hidden garage. Raphael had considered driving his motorcycle but changed his mind at the last minute. He was still concerned about Venus and wanted to make sure he was physically present to help her in any way. Raph's brother's had noticed that as he got older he became less selfish and rebellious. Leo wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that there were children involved that helped him take the focus off of himself.

Within minutes the clan was ready to go meet with the Joneses at their house. Leonardo was driving and Venus was riding shotgun for now . The other three Turtles were sitting next to each of the little ones. As they pulled off Tokio stared at his uncle Raph while pulling at the wool booties on his feet. His lanky legs were long enough to dangle over the edge of the car seat, and their inherited length made it easy for him to pull his feet up to his mouth.

"Hey, little nugget, I don't think your mom and dad have wool socks on your diet," Raphael playfully scolded as he pulled the baby's foot out of his beak. Raph then rolled his eyes at Mikey who was cooing over the back of his seat at the cute scene.

Soon the Turtles met the Joneses at their brownstone. Casey gave Donatello one of a pair of walkie-talkies in case they lost sight of each other on their three hour trip. They didn't want to rely totally on the Shell Cells because of the frequency of dropped calls the further they got out in the countryside. The two families proceeded with caution for there were icy patches along the road here and there.

Their journey was pretty uneventful, except for the time the Joneses hit a patch of black ice, giving everyone a scare. Both vans were pulled over to the side of the road while Leo made sure their human friends were all right. After determining that none of them were injured, just startled, Leo went back to the Turtles' van.

"Boy, I'll be glad when we get to the farm. I hate driving in this kind of weather," Leo grumbled as he started the engine. Venus gave him a reassuring pat on the thigh as they pulled off behind the Joneses. "Hopefully we won't have any more mishaps." A few minutes later it began sleeting.

"Man, Leo, why'd you have to open your big mouth?" Raph teased.

"Bite me, Raph. Or better yet, why don't you bite him for me, Toki-chan?"

"Funny, Fearless. Real fuckin' funny," the sai wielding ninja muttered as the others laughed at his expense.

Fortunately they avoided any more hazards for the rest of the trip. There were cheers all around when they arrived at the old Victorian style house. The four Hamato brothers stared at the building in awe. The extensive renovations had transformed the once dilapidated house into a sturdy, freshly painted and fully repaired house with a now complete wrap around porch. They didn't stand outside to enjoy the view too long since it was still sleeting. Casey went to unlock the front door as his Turtle friends gathered up the babies and the cat.

Once they went inside it was time for even more oos and ahhs. The interior was more wonderful than they expected. Mike carried Gidget into the fully remodeled kitchen and was floored by all the modern appliances, new tile, and cabinets. Everything about the room screamed dream kitchen to the cook inside him.

"Baby girl, I'm going to have to teach you how to cook because I don't think Daddy's ever going to leave this kitchen," Michelangelo sighed dreamily.

Raph was quite impressed by the living room with a huge LCD TV mounted on the wall, entertainment center with surround sound system, and an enormous sectional couch. The sunroom on the back porch was what caught Venus' eye. She could imagine herself relaxing in this room studying shinobi spells while the little ones played in their portable play enclosure on the floor.

Leo thought he had died and gone to Ninja heaven when Casey took him to the basement and showed him a dojo. It even had a tatami mat and places along the walls to store weapons. Donatello had a total geek-out freak-out when April showed him the computer room. Little Junie toddled behind him as he looked over every bit of brand spanking new equipment on a nearby workbench.

The more of the house they toured the more the Turtles got suspicious of the changes the Joneses had made. It was pretty apparent that they weren't random. After the Hamato clan had seen most of the house April gathered them all in the living room and asked them to have a seat.

"You guys are probably wondering why we included certain changes in the house." By now Casey was standing next to April with an arm around her waist. The human parents smiled as their daughter climbed into Donatello's lap. "Well, ever since we got all the legal issues straightened out with the money Winters left me, Casey and I decided take care of family first. Now, do you guys like all the changes we made?" There were nods and broad smiles all around. "Good, because all of this...is yours."

It took a moment for April's words to sink in, but when it did joy and excitement exploded among the Turtles. Leonardo's excitement was tempered by a question running through his mind.

"April, if we live here does this mean you'll be staying in the brownstone in New York?"

"Oh no. You remember that house you saw on the other side of the man made lake? That's where we'll be living. It should be ready by summer so we'll be moved in by the fall. So, are you guys going to accept the house?"

"Give us some time to discuss it among ourselves," Leonardo replied.

"What the shell? Leo, what is there to discuss?" Raph inquired as he thought about tooling around the long country roads on his Shell Cycle. Mikey was too busy crowing about _his_ new kitchen to realize what Leo had said.

"We must come to an agreement as a clan, Raphael."

"Like any of us would disagree to this! It's in a nice secluded area, there's lots of open space, and it's a hell of a lot cleaner than the sewers. Besides, wouldn't you rather the kids grew up with better things than we had?" The eldest Hamato knew his brother had a point. Yet he felt living above ground would violate their lifestyle of secrecy. That's when Donatello piped in.

"If you want we can build a series of hidden tunnels underneath the house in case of a dire emergency. We can also use them to train the children in the ninja arts of stealth." Leonardo leaned back in his seat with a broad smile. He was so proud that his brothers were putting thought into their decision instead of blindly accepting the house out of their own selfishness. He got up and sat before the Jonses in the seiza position.

"All right. April, Casey, we are humbled by your great kindness and graciously accept this beautiful house to accommodate our growing clan." He then bowed deeply. The others glanced at each other for a second before following suit. Once they all sat up June ran over to Mikey and practically jumped on his shell babbling in her adorable baby speech. Mikey smiled up at his human friends.

"I think Junie wants birthday cake!"

"Can't argue with my baby girl!" Casey replied as he went to retrieve June's second birthday cake from the kitchen. April set her daughter's birthday tiara on the toddler's black curls before helping her blow out the candle. It's safe to say that the cake was demolished within the hour.

It had gotten pretty late so it was time for the little ones to sleep. June and Milan were already asleep, and Tokio was teetering on the edge fighting to keep his eyes open. Gidget was the only one wide awake. A bath hadn't even helped her to wind down. Mikey laid both twins down anyway. He had set up a crib in the room he had chosen for himself. Leonardo followed suit and put his own son to bed in his chosen room, then went down into the basement to check out the dojo once again. The Joneses had retired for the night. They were going to get up early the next morning to check on their house across the lake.

The rest of the Turtles were in the living room watching_ Kung Fu Hustle._ Well, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo were watching. Venus had fallen asleep on the couch. Don was sitting on the floor next to her feet. He noticed the pregnant female's feet were a bit swollen, so he put one of her feet in his lap and began to massage it. He paused when he felt someone punch him in the arm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Raph whispered as he gave Don a disapproving glare.

"Uh, I thought it was pretty obvious."

"Let Leo do that."

"Why should I? She's carrying my offspring." Donatello sneered.

"First of all, she's asleep so she can't have her a say in the matter. Second, you're not doin' it out of love for her, but to rub it in Leo's face once he gets back. You've been pretty disrespectful to him the past couple weeks and I'm gettin' sick of it."

"So you're taking Leo's side after what he said to me?"

"C'mon, Don. Don't you think you were over steppin' your boundaries a little in that situation?"

"What?"

"You don't get it, do ya, Don? Look, Fearless is head over heals in love with the Shinobi Princess. You ought to be glad he's been showin' as much self control he can muster not to pummel your ass." By now Donatello's eyes gleamed with anger.

"Did you ever consider that I'm in love with her too?" They both paused when they noticed Mikey was now watching them instead of the movie. "Forget it. I'm calling it a night." Donatello stood and gave the still sleeping shinobi mystic a quick kiss on the mouth before heading to his room. His heart nearly burst from his chest when he bumped into Leonardo when he turned around. The two brothers glared at each other for a moment until Don left the room. Raphael bumped Leo with his foot and mouthed the words "watch him" as the clan head settled next to his sleeping mate. Leo acknowledged his brother with a nod as he gently laid Venus' head in his lap.

"Raph, Mike, I'm calling a clan meeting right after our morning spar." Raph's face bore his 'why am I not surprised?' smirk. He had known it was coming and he had a strong feeling what it was going to be about. He just hoped the proverbial shit wouldn't hit the fan.

Next Chapter: Clear boundaries must be set in order to avoid turmoil within the Hamato clan. Can they all come to a peaceful agreement before they settle into their new home? Will their male egos even allow it?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The following morning Mei Pieh Chi woke with a start. She remembered falling asleep on the couch the night before but she could tell she was no longer there. It took her a few seconds to realize she was laying against another body. She recognized the masculine scent and relaxed.

'I must have been sleeping really hard. I didn't even feel him carrying me to bed.'

She closed her eyes and snuggled against her bed partner. At first she thought he was still asleep until she felt a hand sliding down her thigh. She opened one eye to see a pair of deep blue ones looking back at her.

"Ohayo, Mei-chan. Sorry if I woke you." Venus, adjusted her position as his hand slipped between her legs.

"It's ok. I woke up on my own." As she turned over on her back Venus noticed Leo's hesitant hand settled at her entrance. She straightened the covers, pulling them up to her neck and spreading her legs until hers were slightly intertwined with his. Leonardo smiled as Venus cuddled with him. It had been weeks since she responded to his attention in a positive way. He pulled her even closer and nuzzled his beak against her cheek. He was about to take things even further when he heard a gentle tapping on the door.

"Leo, are you awake yet? Dawn's about to break and you said we need to spar as early as possible. By the way, have you seen Venus?"

The eldest Hamato brother recognized Donatello's voice, and noticed that he sounded irritated for some reason.

"I'll meet you in the dojo in ten minutes," Leo responded, ignoring the question about Venus. There was a short pause before Don replied.

"Ok, see you in a few."

Leo gave Venus a quick kiss before rising out of bed. As he retrieved his ninjato from underneath his mattress Venus went over to Tokio's crib and peeked under the blanket draped over the top of the crib. The baby turtle was still asleep so the mother decided to go to Mikey's room to check on the twins. When she stepped out into the hallway she crossed paths with Donatello, who was coming out of the bathroom. He paused to stare at her a moment, noticing whose room she just came out of. He glared at her with a frown on his face before heading downstairs.

Once Donatello made it to the basement he saw Raphael was already in the dojo polishing his sai. The presently mask-less ninja went over to the weapons wall, popped one of his backup bos with his foot and caught it in his hands.

"Mornin', Donnie. What's wrong with your face?" The techno Turtle gave his brother a questioning look. "You look like somebody ticked you off."

"I'm ok, Raph."

"Anyway, I'm used to Mikey being late for sparring but not Leo. You see him yet?"

"Didn't see him, but I did speak to him. Said he'll be down in ten minutes."

"Weird. He's usually ready before all of us. Wonder what held him up?"

"Does it really matter?" Donatello growled as he twirled his bo, imagining what Leo and Venus might have been doing in his eldest brother's room.

"Geez! Calm down, Donnie. I was just makin' conversation."

At that moment the rest of the clan entered the dojo. Leo was carrying his still sleeping son in his arms while Mike followed holding Milan in a car seat, and Venus brought up the rear carrying Gidget in a car seat as well. The young shinobi settled down with the babies in a far corner of the dojo out of harm's way. She wouldn't be participating because of her present condition, but she would observe.

"All right, brothers, we spar without weapons today just to be on the safe side. We don't want to put the children in danger."

"Sounds good to me," Michelangelo responded as he placed his nunchucks in their holder on the north wall. As the others did the same with their weapons Mikey noticed his quiet brother was staring at the eldest the whole time. "So, are we pairing off or is this gonna be a free for all?"

"We need to stay on our toes, so a free for all sounds good, Mikey," Leo replied with a smile. His smile was wiped off his face when he got a sharp kick to the chest. Turns out Donatello wasn't wasting any time. Leo didn't bother complaining that his present opponent didn't wait for a signal to begin. He had said they need to stay on their toes after all. That didn't stop him from getting annoyed by Donatello's actions. When Donatello threw a hard punch at him Leo caught Don's fist then returned the favor with a kick to Donatello's stomach. Leo shook his head figuring Donatello was showing off for Venus.

She didn't show it on her face, but Venus did take notice. She never was impressed by male posturing, but that didn't seem to stop the growing conflict between two jealous brothers. Leo and Don looked as if they were about to come to serious blows when Mikey joined the fray by knocking them both off their feet with a sweeping kick. The downed Turtles quickly recovered and a true free-for-all ensued. Venus tried to keep up with the lightning fast moves of the sparring Hamato brothers as little Tokio bounced in her lap squealing with delight. He thought his father and uncles were giving him quite a wonderful show. The whole session ended with all four brothers in awkward positions. Mike's fist was in Raph's face, Raph's leg was pressing down on Leo's carapace while Leo had twisted Don's arm behind his back, and one of Don's toes was poking Mike in the eye.

"You know Leo, next time I suggest a free-for-all it'll be ok for you to shut me up," Michelangelo grumbled as he got up and rubbed his stinging eye.

"Heh, that really got my blood pumpin', so no complaints from me!" Raph crowed as he got up flexing his arms.

"Eh, that was actually kind of fun." Leonardo got up with a chuckle and walked over to where Venus and the children were. So far Donatello hadn't said a word. Leo knelt in front of his mate who was still holding their son in her arms.

"Was that you I heard cheering, Toki-chan? You were watching otou-san, weren't you?" His son smiled as Leo stroked his little chin. The father-son moment was cut short when Leo felt something land on his right shoulder. He looked over to see the end of Donatello's bo resting there.

"Are we having the clan meeting right away or are we going to have breakfast first?" Don inquired with a cool gleam in his brown eyes.

"There's no rush. I'm going to shower then eat. Do whatever you like in the meantime. I'll send for you once I'm ready." Leo glared up at Don as he knocked the end of the bo off of his shoulder. He then gave Venus a surprisingly passionate kiss before heading upstairs. Donatello then slammed his bo onto the weapon rack before leaving the dojo.

"Well, that was awkward!" Mikey singsonged as he picked up Gidget and headed to the upper level. Raph simply sighed and shook his head as he gathered up Milan, who was now wide awake and staring at his uncle as if he were crazy.

"C'mon, V. We'd better head upstairs before those two end up beating the crap out of each other."

"I really hope they don't come to blows. This is getting very tiresome," Venus complained as she followed Raphael up the steps.

Breakfast was pretty uneventful. Leonardo fussed at Venus about her not eating, noting that although she didn't have much of an appetite she still should eat something to keep up her strength. The expectant mother eventually agreed and ate half a bowl of cinnamon raisin oatmeal Donatello fixed her. She fed the rest of the meal to Tokio.

After breakfast Mikey helped Venus give the children baths while the others cleaned the kitchen and dining area. Afterwards the parents laid the little ones down for naps then met the others in the sun room. They could see a light dusting of snow on the ground as flurries fluttered among the naked tree branches. Leonardo had already fired up the electric fireplace causing the glass walls to fog up a bit. Klunk was curled up near the fireplace taking full advantage of the warmth.

"All right, everyone. We have some important issues to discuss," Leonardo started as he sat on the wicker love seat. He waited for everyone else to sit down and all eyes were on him. "Since we're going to be living here indefinitely we need to go back to New York to get necessary supplies. However, I don't think it would be practical for us to put the little ones through that long trip so soon. I suggest that two of us go back to the Lair to get anything we need right now, then the rest of us can go back to get anything else deemed important at another time. I need each of you to make a list of anything of immediate importance that you need brought back. Have the list ready by 9 PM tonight. Don, you'll be going with me to the Lair tonight."

When Leo said that Raph, Mikey, and Venus gave each other a worried look. Given the current tension between their leader and the resident tech, none of them thought it would be a good idea for them to be alone together.

"Uh, Leo, why don't I come along with you guys?" Raph suggested.

"I'd rather you stayed here to help with the children." That's when Michelangelo spoke up.

"That's ok, Leo. Venus and I can handle taking care of the kids. Besides, three can get more done faster than two."

"True, but the more of us come the less room we'll have in the van for supplies." Mikey suddenly looked deflated. Raphael wasn't one to give up so easily though.

"Look, Fearless, why don't I drive the Shell Cycle back? I wanted to bring it back here anyways."

By now the head of the Hamato clan had his eyes narrowed and arms crossed, indicating his growing irritation.

"All right, Raph, you can come too. Let's prepare for the trip. Mikey, Venus, you two work on your lists and have them ready for us before we leave."

Venus agreed with a nod while Michelangelo gave Leo a snappy salute. As Leonardo compiled his own list of essentials Donatello checked the weather forecast for the next few days. No snow beyond a few flurries was expected, so they didn't have to worry about getting caught in a blizzard or anything. By evening the whole clan had gathered in the living room. Venus was playing with Tokio, who was crawling around the portable play area discovering the wonders of plush carpeting. At first he patted and pulled at it looking quite delighted by the bouncy threads. When the baby tried to taste it his mother quickly scooped him up and tapped him on his little beak to scold him. She laughed when he tried to lick her finger. Leonardo, Donatello, and Raphael were now in the living room dressed for the winter chill.

"Mikey, Mei-chan, I need your list of essentials." Leo's youngest brother handed both lists to him so he could look them over. "Uh, Mikey, I thought I asked you to make a list of _essentials_," Leo grumbled with a frown.

"I did, bro! My comic books and DVD's are essential for keeping me from being bored senseless in case we get snowed in!" the resident cut-up explained with his signature goofy grin. Leonardo simply rolled his eyes and shook his head as he beckoned his traveling companions to head out with him. He gave Venus and Tokio affectionate goodbyes and slapped Mikey on the back of the head before leaving. As the trio of Turtles headed out to the van, Donatello, who had been relatively quiet up to this point, spoke up.

"You know, Leo, I realize the only reason you had me come with you is to keep me from being alone with Venus. What's the matter? Scared of the competition?"

"Really, Donnie? Do you have to start this bullshit now?" Raphael complained as he nudged Donatello towards their vehicle. Leonardo simply ignored Don's remark and got into the driver's seat. Raph got into the front passenger seat while Don sat behind Leo. "Listen, Brainiac, can we at least have a peaceful trip back to New York? I'm really not in the mood to deal with you and Leo's cat fight."

Still no response from Leonardo, but Raph could see a tiny smirk form on his older brother's face. Donatello couldn't see it though. Even if he had it wouldn't have stopped him from talking smack the whole trip. All that time Leo's grin got bigger and bigger. Raphael knew this didn't bode well.

"Seriously, Donnie, I think you should quit talking before you end up regretting it," Raph warned. Several hours later the three brothers finally made it to the lair. Donatello headed towards his lab when he felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned around all that filled his field of vision was a big, green fist.

"OH, FUCK! LEO, PLEASE DON'T KILL HIM!" were the last words he heard before his mind was swallowed by darkness.

Next Chapter: Things have come to blows. Will Leonardo and Donatello ever be able to make peace?


	14. Chapter 14

AN: I noticed in the 2003 TMNT series they refer to Leatherhead as a crocodile. I always thought that odd since the term 'leather head' is used to refer to alligators. Also the shape of Leatherhead's face and head is more square like an alligator's rather than narrow and pointy like a crocodile's. So I will be referring to one of my favorite mutated reptiles next to the fab four as an alligator in this fic.

Chapter 14

Donatello could hear voices, but they sounded muffled, as if they were traveling through six feet of water. As he slowly opened his eyes his vision was blurred and he was a bit disoriented. After a few seconds passed he realized he was on his back and someone was kneeling over him and calling his name. He blinked several times until his eyesight cleared. He immediately recognized the pretty, round face hovering over his.

"Donatello, are you all right?"

"A-atima? What are you doing here?" The young herpetologist looked very relieved as she stroked the top her friend's head.

"Leatherhead and I stopped by to check on the Lair per Leo's request while you were out of town. What are you guys doing back so early? And more importantly, why were you and your brother fighting?" Atima helped Donatello sit up and noticed his embarrassed expression.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Don eventually noticed Leo sitting on the other side of the living room looking like he could chew him up and spit him out. Raph and LH were talking to Leo in a calm manner to keep things peaceful. Raph's face bore an expression of a mixture of disappointment, anger, and frustration due to his brothers' behavior. Donatello shuddered when Leo's gaze fell directly on him. When Don started to stand Atima helped him to his feet. He noticed the right side of his face felt a bit sore. He winced when he touched it. He could feel the swelling. Leo did indeed have a mean left hook.

"Do you have a cold compress for your eye?" Atima inquired, her voice full of concern.

"Yeah. It's in the first aid kit in the dojo." The Turtle and the human went to the dojo together. Donatello went over to the east wall and opened up a compartment. Inside was a first aid kit, from which he took out a cold compress. He squeezed the blue packet to start the chemical reaction that provided the cooling effect. He winced as he pressed it to the right side of his face. Atima stood next to her friend giving him a sympathetic look while rubbing his shoulder.

"So, Don, why are you back so early and where are the others?"

"We came here to pick up some necessary supplies and the others are in our new home."

"What? New home? You guys relocating to another part of the sewers?" The human was getting worried for her friend, for she knew from what Donatello told her that whenever the Hamato clan up and moved it was because of some negative or off the wall events.

"No. Actually we're living in a house." Don noticed the herpetologist's shocked expression. "I know, we had the same looks on our faces when April told us Casey was giving us the house. It's going to take some getting used to living above ground like that."

"Oh, Donnie, I am so happy for you guys! I'm going to have to get you a proper house warming gift! Perhaps bring Delilah to visit in the summer," the woman offered with a smile while referring to her pet cayman.

"It would be good to see that cute little cayman," Don chuckled as he rummaged around the lab.

"Hey, why don't you tell me what you need out of here and I'll collect it for you since you only have one free hand?" Atima offered.

"Oh, thanks. I just need a few medical supplies, my lap top, and a few other items. You can put it in that box over there."

As Atima gathered up some of Donatello's equipment he told his human friend about his new lab at the house and possible upgrades he was considering. The young mutant paused for a moment as he went into deep thought.

"You know, there are a lot of goals I've set before myself to accomplish. I always look forward to the end result of any project at hand. But there's something I'm looking forward to that has nothing to do with any technological venture I've ever been involved with."

"Wow, Donnie. What could possibly be more meaningful to you than putting your amazing genius to work?" Atima asked with an almost teasing smile.

"Becoming a father..."

Atima set the box she was holding down on Don's workbench as she noticed the far away look in her olive skinned friend's eyes.

"Donnie, is there something...?"

"Venus is pregnant again. And she's carrying my child. Our DNA came together to create a unique being. I find that so amazing. I want to know everything I possibly can about this person I have yet to meet growing and developing inside of one incredible female. I can't help but wonder about the things I could share with and teach this little person as he or she grows and thrives. I'm so excited and anxious about the whole thing, but all in a good way..."

His voice trailed off as he noticed Atima was staring at him and looking a bit awkward. He thought he saw a hint of sadness in her expression.

"So, when is the baby due?" the woman inquired as she fumbled with a mother board.

"Between September and November. If we have an unusually warm fall season he or she may hatch early."

"I see. So am I to assume that you and Venus are getting along all right?" Atima leaned against the workbench as she gave Donatello a sideways glance. The mutant terrapin lowered the cold compress from his eye as he observed his friend's curious body language and change of tone.

"Yeah, we're getting along fine. In fact I'd say we're getting along great."

"Uh huh. Tell me something, Donnie. The honest truth now. Is Venus the reason you and Leo are fighting?"

Don's jaw dropped slightly as he thought carefully about how he should respond, or if he should respond at all. He decided on the latter choice.

"You know, Atima, I think that box of supplies should suffice for now. It's not like we're making a major move just yet, so..."

He got the feeling the woman wasn't in the mood to listen to his pointless rambling. She practically shoved the box of equipment into his hands then walked out of the lab, leaving the twenty-year-old Turtle wondering what happened to cause that type of reaction from her.

In the meantime Leonardo had a chance to let his head cool after a talk with Leatherhead. The older mutant alligator had admonished the young ninja clan leader to have patience with his younger brother. He figured that becoming sexually active triggered changes in Donatello that he wasn't used to causing him to act unusually aggressive. Leonardo grudgingly agreed to have patience to a certain point, but if Donatello crossed the line and disrespected him or Venus in any way there would be serious consequences.

As Raph and Leo got to consulting Venus' and Michelangelo's lists Atima came out of Donatello's lab looking a bit distraught. Leatherhead asked her if she was all right. She said she was fine, but the others thought it strange that once Don came into the room she was in a sudden hurry to head back to the surface.

"Congratulations on your new home, my friends. I'll be keeping in touch."

She addressed everyone yet refused to look at Donatello, who felt a bit snubbed by Atima's behavior. He decided to let it slide for now so he could call her and talk about it another time. For the time being Donnie saw fit to tell Leatherhead all about his new lab at the house and that he would love for his fellow genius to come check it out for himself. No one brought up the fact that he refused to speak to Leo for now. Raph was just glad they weren't fighting at the time. Now he got a taste of what the other's felt when he and Leo used to constantly go at it.

It was an unspoken decision that Leonardo and Donatello would not speak a word to each other the whole time they were packing. They even kept the glaring to a minimum as they loaded the van. As Don turned to grab one more box he stopped short when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see a pair of stern blue eyes looking straight at him. He didn't see any anger in Leo's eyes. In fact he noticed his features had softened a bit.

"Donnie, I'm sorry for losing my temper like that. I should have never punched you." Donatello huffed and shook his head.

"Look, Leo, I don't blame you for losing your patience. I was talking a lot of smack so I kinda deserved it..."

"No! What I did was irresponsible and foolish! I need to be more disciplined than ever now since...I am to lead by example. I mean, I have a son who's watching me and learning right from wrong from me. If he sees me treating family like this how could I possibly expect him to respect me and himself? Besides, you are my brother and I should have your back. We shouldn't be at each other's throats! We've got to figure out how to get along with..."

"Leo, I'm in love with Venus. I'm tired of holding my tongue. But I did realize something. It's pretty useless for me to compete with you for her love. It all boils down to her choice. If she chooses you so be it. But if she chooses me don't take it out on me. I'm giving you fair warning I have every intention of courting her. If you have a problem with that, tough nuts, bro."

For a moment Leonardo stared at his younger brother slacked jawed. He wasn't sure if he was more taken aback by what he said or how he said it. The Don he was used to would probably be shying away from him or flinching by now. However this current Donatello had his feet firmly planted, head held high, and was looking him directly in the eye. Leo felt angry and proud all at once and wasn't sure if he should hug his normally passive brother or punch him in his other eye. Finally, Leo chuckled and shook his head before bowing respectfully. Don looked shocked for a second before returning the gesture.

"All right, Donnie. We're going to deal with this issue as mature adults. As _men_. Whatever Mei-chan decides I will respect that."

"I will do the same."

As the two brothers shook hands the serious moment was broken with the sound of the roar of a high octane engine.

"If you two ladies are finished kissin' and makin' up I'd like to head back to the house if ya don't mind. Now let's get outta this stinkin' sewer and up to some fresh air!"

Raph donned his helmet and revved the Shell Cycle a couple times before peeling out of the garage. Leo and Don secured the supplies in the van and got underway so they could catch up with their hot headed, foul mouthed brother. They gave each other a knowing glance, wondering if they were up to the challenge waiting for them at their new home.

*Next Chapter: Every pregnancy is different, but Venus' current one get a bit strange even for her. And Leo and Don decided to compete for Venus' heart like gentlemen, but will it all backfire?


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

It was six a.m. and all was quiet in the farmhouse. All the little ones were bathed, changed, and tucked in their cribs. Michelangelo had staid up to help Venus clean up a mess Tokio had made in the tub, but by now even he was in dreamland. Only the young shinobi remained awake. She was grateful that Mikey disinfected the entire bathroom so she wouldn't have to handle the chemicals. Don wasn't sure how harsh cleaning chemicals would effect the pregnant shinobi or his offspring developing inside of her. Venus had to be careful of what she ate, touched, or even breathed in while in her present state.

So far this pregnancy was going well, but the Turtle mother had to admit that something strange was going on in her body. With each pregnancy she had been keenly aware of the chi of each baby, although their chi was much weaker than her own. However, this time the chi was much stronger, almost as strong as her own. She didn't understand how an unborn being could have chi almost as strong as an adult. Another odd thing she noticed was that the chi would move...a lot. With the others their chi would stay centered within their eggs. This one's chi seemed to extend beyond the egg and move around Venus' body, causing her to have physical reactions such as chills, hot flashes, and sometimes nausea. These odd bouts never lasted very long but they were always noticeable.

The mystic in training had no idea who to speak to about her growing concern about these strange bouts of discomfort. Don may have been a genius, but he was no mystic. Although the brothers had experienced situations that involved magic and the mystical arts, he still lacked understanding about their mysterious workings. Leo's knowledge of chi, though more advanced than Donatello's, was still limited. Venus began to wonder if she would have to seek answers from..._her_. She didn't care to deal with this particular person, although the Turtle brothers had made a truce with her before Venus arrived. The reason she didn't like her much was the look in Leo's eyes or his tone whenever he would mention that woman's name. If only she could consult her mentor in the healing arts. Unfortunately she had also met her demise in the Battle Nexus along with Master Splinter and many others.

Venus finally started to drift off when she heard someone at the front entrance. She slowly got up and headed for the door. Leonardo was the first to enter with a box in his arms. He held the door open with his shoulder as he set the box down to hold it open for his brothers. Venus was all smiles as she walked up to greet him.

"Welcome back, Leo!"

"Hey, Mei-chan. Glad to be back. What are you doing up though? Can't sleep?"

"I got a little sleep, but I've been feeling uncomfortable as of late."

"Oh really, what's wrong?" Leonardo inquired as he pulled his mate into a gentle embrace.

"I'm not exactly sure. All I can say is that there are some strange goings on with this little one, or little ones. The chi is very strong even for twins."

"Triplets, maybe?"

"I don't know." Venus certainly hoped it wasn't triplets. At the rate Tokio and the twins were developing she knew she was about to have some very mobile youngsters on her hands.

"Hopefully we'll have some answers soon. Until then I think you should at least try to get some more rest. You look exhausted, koibito."

"Oh, don't worry about me. Since I'm up I can help you guys unload supplies..."

Leo silenced her with a soft kiss then gave her a stern glare.

"Mei Pieh Chi...go to bed, now."

With a sigh the female mutant reluctantly obeyed.

"By the way, wake Mikey so he can help with the supplies. He can haul his own Mobile Suit Gundam and Dragon Ball Z videos himself." Leo figured it served him right for falling asleep leaving Venus up and alone in her discomfort. Of course, Mikey was not happy to be awakened and pulled from his comfy bed, but he was glad to see his videos and comics, even though some of them were actually Donatello's, who wasn't admitting a thing.

Once fully awake Mikey sought a bit of payback by describing the disgusting mess Tokio made in the bath in great detail.

"Ugh! I really didn't need to heard that, ya moron!" Raphael complained as he disappeared down the basement stairs with some free weights.

"Mikey, that is just sick!" Donatello gagged as he scooted into his lab. Michelangelo was too busy laughing to avoid the inevitable whack on the back of the head from his eldest sibling.

"Quiet, little bro. You don't want to wake the children, do you?"

"Shell no! It took us two hours to get them all settled down for bed, and just as long to clean up..." Mikey gulped and clammed up at the sight of Leo's narrowed eyes and face creased with a frown. "Keep making faces like that and you'll be a wrinkled old man before you know it, bro," he whispered as he tiptoed to his room with his personal belongings. Leo thumped Mikey on the beak for good measure as he headed to his own bedroom.

Soon all was quiet once again in the Hamato household. However the quiet did not mean everyone was asleep. Venus laid awake on her bed watching over the two cribs next to her bed. The Turtle babies looked so peaceful in their slumber that their mother wished she could share in their state. Unfortunately the strange movement in the pregnant mother's womb had become more intense. Venus turned over on her side and tried to relax when she heard a soft tapping on her door.

"Who is it?" she whispered.

"It's Donatello. May I come in?"

"Sure."

As Don made a very quiet entrance Venus noticed him locking the door behind him. Without a word of request for permission he slipped under the clovers and snuggled up behind her. Venus showed no signs of pushing him away as he snaked an arm around her waist.

"Having trouble sleeping, Milady?" Venus nodded as she adjusted her pillow. "What seems to be the problem, and what can I do to help?"

"Well, I had never felt movement with the other pregnancies. It's a very odd feeling. Kind of helps me understand what April told me about June moving around inside of her. The difference is what I feel moving around is not a body, but chi. Very strong and potent chi. Something like this should not be coming from a baby. It's more like chi from an adult." She didn't say it aloud but the chi felt similar to that of her deceased father, who was a highly skilled shinobi master, or her mentor in the Battle Nexus who was a master healer. Venus drew in a sharp breath when she felt Donatello gently caressing her tender belly.

"Perhaps this is a unique form of 'morning sickness' due to mutation, or maybe this clutch is bigger than the previous two," the studious Turtle suggested quietly as he kissed her shoulder.

"Hnn...Leo had said it might be triplets, but I don't think that's...ahhh..." By now Don's hand had traveled a bit lower on her body. She could feel heat in her cheeks she felt him adjusting himself beneath the bed sheets. "Donnie, what are you doing?"

"I want to help you get some sleep," he muttered s his wandering hand did more to awaken something in her. Venus glanced over at the cribs to see the little ones still sound asleep. She considered the present situation for a moment to decided whether or not she should allow Donatello to continue. She then reached up to draw the canopy curtains closed. She closed her eyes as the amorous male slowly and gently slipped inside of her. To her pleasant surprise Donatello managed to help her relax and relieved much of her tension. She made a note in her mind to repay his loving kindness as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Leonardo sat on his bed in a meditative pose, eyes closed. Although he was tired and knew he needed rest, sleep eluded him. He couldn't shake the sense of activity in another part of the house. He fought the temptation to patrol the hallways to investigate. He had an urge to check up on Venus. Perhaps he could say he was checking on his son as a cover. He frowned at the pettiness of the thought of using his child as an excuse to act on his insecurities. After a few more minutes he opened his eyes as his shoulders slumped. There was no use pretending to be meditating. He couldn't deny what had him so restless. Leo's unspoken fear was coming to pass. He felt as if he and his beloved were slowly drifting apart. Their bond wasn't as strong as it had been in the past, and he blamed himself for it. Master Splinter had once told him when you cling too tightly to what you love most you risk losing it. It was so hard for him not to act like a jealous lover, but he realized that jealous behavior could be what was driving Venus away. He saw only one solution to his problem. He had to express the extent and depth of his feelings to her without being too forceful. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her after already experiencing great loss.

Donatello gazed down at the graceful, peaceful creature laying beside him. He pondered on how the powerful emotions she stirred in him defied all logic. He couldn't think of any other female he would take a blow to the face for from anyone let alone his own brother. The possessive feelings he had towards Venus were strong and frightened him. He couldn't deny his love for her, and yet at the same time he couldn't deny that she loved Leonardo. The logical part of him was grateful for the opportunity to pass on his DNA, but that irrational part of him wanted so badly for Venus to return his feelings towards her. He had long since apologized for balking at her studies of shinobi magic, and she had even come to enjoy sharing in his scientific knowledge, especially in biology. He couldn't deny their friendship, yet he wanted it to be more than that. He wanted so much for them to become lovers.

For the next few weeks, in spite of both Leonardo and Donatello's doting, Venus' condition worsened. She barely ate and often had night sweats and chills. Even after the spring weather broke the young mother was pretty much bedridden. All of the brothers were distraught over her illness, but none more so than Donatello, who thought that her condition was partly his fault. Because Venus was in a state that she couldn't be moved from her bed without causing her severe nausea, the Hamatos could not take her to Leatherhead's infirmary. It was decided that the mutant gator would be brought to the house. The Turtles had to be very discreet when transporting their very large friend. They removed the back seats of the van to make room for him, leaving just enough room for only one of the brothers to drive. Donatello made the three hour drive back to New York to pick up his fellow scientist.

On the way back Donatello described Venus' symptoms to Leatherhead to see if he had any idea what the problem was.

"There's really no sense in speculating until I examine her, my friend. Hopefully we'll be able to find a solution to keep her health from deteriorating any further and help her make a full recovery."

LH noticed Donatello's tight grip on the steering wheel and the expression on his face. The poor Turtle looked as if he was on the verge of tears.

"LH, do you think there might be something wrong...with the baby? And if so, will we have to...?' Donatello didn't dare finish his sentence, but the clear meaning hung in the air like a dark shroud.

"Donatello, I will do all I can to ensure mother and child can be saved."

The distraught Turtle drove on ahead in silence as tears streamed down his cheeks. He hoped and prayed that all would be well, for he doubted his family could bear another tragedy so soon after their great loss.

*Next Chapter: Is the pregnancy killing Venus? Will Leatherhead and Donatello be able to diagnose the problem and treat it? Will the Turtles have to resort to drastic measures to save mother and child?


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

She couldn't help but go to that place. That quiet, deep, dark place where even Leo could not follow. It was in times of great distress where she would go where she felt the safest. Venus' declining health had sent her fleeing to what she called 'the great within.' There were only a few times she had gone to this place. One occurrence was after the death of her beloved father, Chung I. Another was when she witnessed the demise of Master Splinter and her healing mentor, Pacha, right before her very eyes. Now she sought refuge in this secret place once again. At least she thought it was secret. She didn't understand why, but she sensed another presence.

Venus had her eyes closed and her body curled in a fetal position as she floated in the inky blackness of her consciousness. Normally she wouldn't be disturbed but right now she could hear a voice. It sounded far off but it was getting closer. At first she couldn't understand what was being said, but after some undetermined time the words became clear.

"You should be ashamed, little kumquat! Look how you treat your mama when she give you life! That's the problem with you younglings. No self control! No true discipline! She know you are strong, you made your point. Now stop showing off for mama and behave!"

Venus' eyes flew open when she felt a wave of resistance slam against her, bringing with it a bout of dizziness. She made out the outline of a foreign form in the distance and wondered if this was the source of the strange, squawking voice. She was drawn to the form so she let her mind close the distance between them. Within seconds she was looming over a short, squat being in a straw hat. She moved back from the person a bit when he turned around, his dark, squinty eyes settling on her.

"Ah, there you are, pretty one! This little one very hardheaded. Needs discipline, tough love. Mm hmm! Only you can give it, Mama! Now talk to this little pea pebble and put her in her place!"

Venus followed to path or the odd looking man's fat finger to see a little being sitting in front of him. It's features were not distinct, except for the eyes. They were strange, haunting eyes that she would not soon forget. There was such defiance in those eyes that the young mother found unsettling. She blinked as she gathered her thoughts, realizing she was dealing with the mind of a child. Soon the shinobi's inner voice filled the entire inner space.

"Little one, you will quiet your spirit, you will be still, and you will respect your mother!"

As her voice reverberated around them the defiance in the child's eyes melted into a look of reverential fear.

"Ah...now we getting somewhere!"

Venus wasn't the only one struggling with turmoil within. A deeply distraught ninja clan leader sat on the tatami mat of the dojo clutching a simple walking stick to his chest. It was all that was left of his beloved master and father that he had brought back from the Battle Nexus. The Turtles had barely discussed what happened, each dealing with the tragedy and mourning in their own way. The main reason they rarely spoke of it was because none of them was sure what happened. All they knew was that one moment their loved ones were there, then they just weren't, seemingly vaporized out of existence. All that was left behind were objects connected to their existence, such as a walking stick, colored wooden beads, or a a pair of glasses. The Daimyo would send word now and then about the progress of the investigation, but so far none of the findings made any sense. They still didn't know what happened, how it happened, or why.

Now the Hamatos were at a point where they could lose more family members, and he just couldn't bear even the thought of that. Once again they were at a loss for a reason for what was happening to someone he loved. Leonardo grit his teeth in frustration as he wished his father was there to provide wisdom and guidance. He felt so lost right now.

"Leonardo." At the sound of a soft, feminine voice he opened his eyes. His blues eyes locked in the gaze of a pair of cat-like, emerald green ones. "You must calm your thoughts and relax just in case we are needed again."

Leo huffed as he sat Splinter's walking stick squarely on his lap. How could he possibly be calm and relax at a time like this?

"I appreciate your concern, Karai, but I'm all right. I'll be ready if the Ancient one calls upon me. Don't worry." The raven haired woman bit her bottom lip as she carefully regarded her fellow warrior. She could see how he suffered. She understood his torment for she too lost someone she held near and dear to her heart. However, the dark kunoichi had learned not to wallow in the past for she saw it as a sign of weakness. She believed Leo should focus on the here and now. As a friend she would do all she could to help his deal with this situation. Right now her focus was the task at hand. Help Venus stabilize her chi. When she felt the unspoken prompt from upstairs she called out to her fellow swords master.

"Leonardo, it is time."

Down the hall from the dojo a lone figure slumped in a swivel chair. It was dark in the lab except for the eerie glow of a computer screen. The screen was blank, a cursor blinking at the top of the screen mocking a troubled terrapin to his face. A half empty coffee mug sat on the desk strewn with papers. He and Leatherhead, with some help from Atima, had put their heads together to try to find a logical reason for Venus' illness. In spite of all their tests they couldn't even find the problem, let alone the solution. All of the pregnant Turtle's blood tests came back normal. Even her vitals read normal. The problem was the data didn't add up to her physical appearance. She had lost so much weight and had a sickly complexion. Her visage bore the face of death itself. Donatello was terrified of losing Venus. The thought that their unborn child could be the cause of all this bore down on his heart and troubled his mind.

Worst of all he had come to a terrible conclusion. In spite of all his accumulated knowledge of his kind he could do nothing for his beloved Venus. Donatello laid his head down on his keyboard, sobbing heavily as a garbled trail of letters, numbers, and symbols dribbled down the screen.

Upstairs in the nursery Mike and Raph watched over the babies. Venus had been non-responsive for several days and even the hatchlings noticed her absence. Tokio was getting around pretty well by crawling and was attempting to speak. He had even learned to ask for his mama, which under the current circumstances was heartbreaking to say the least. Since Donatello was an emotional wreck and Leonardo was often in deep meditation, it fell upon the hot head and the goofball to manage the care of the Turtle babies. They took their task very seriously and made sure to meet all the needs of the little ones by feeding them, bathing them, and playing with them. Playtime was a welcome distraction for adults and little ones alike. It kept the infants happy and eased the troubled minds of the two brothers. However, once the little ones were laid down for a nap the usually cheerful and playful Michelangelo became quiet and sullen.

Very few words were spoken between the two brothers, as Raph would often offer comfort with a simple hand on his youngest brother's shoulder. This particular day Mikey decided to voice one of his fears.

"Hey, Raph..."

"Yeah?"

"You think V is gonna make it?"

"I don't know. I really hope she does, but I just don't know..."

Mikey chewed the inside of his cheek as his sky blue eyes moistened.

"What's gonna happen to the kids if...?"

"Don't worry, Mikey. Their gonna be well taken care of, no matter what happens. Got that?"

Raph had his brother by the shoulders and was looking him square in the eyes. Mikey hung his head as a teardrop splashed against his thigh.

"I...I don't want Venus to die..."

He could no longer hold back the deluge of tears as his older brother held him close.

As the days passed it seemed that Venus' condition would never change. The Turtle brothers did all they could to keep each other from descending into the pit of despair never to return. After days of intense meditation Karai had found herself close to the breaking point. Poor Leonardo lay exhausted, his head resting on her lap. She was beginning to think all was lost when she heard the dojo door slide open. She didn't know what to expect as the squat sage waddled over carrying a bundle of stained sheets in his hands. Not a good sign in the raven haired woman's eyes.

"Wake up, kumquat!" Leonardo shot up from Karai's lap, his eyes darting around in confusion.

"Huh? Wha? What's going on?"

"For shame! Too busy cuddling with beautiful woman to be aware of surroundings? What kinda ninja are you?"

Leo sneered up at the ancient One, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"How is Venus? Is she all right?"

"She gone..."

"WHAT?"

"...to sleep, dum dum! Her struggle from within over for now. But there is still one matter to take care of. What should I do with this?"

To the Turtle's surprise the pudgy man pulled the soiled sheets open to reveal an unusually large egg.

"Uh...you might want to pick your jaw off the floor before it get rug burn, youngling."

*Next Chapter. Venus embarks on the road to recovery to everyone's relief. Karai's presence causes a bit of a rift within the clan. Also...time for potty training!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Life was good for a certain young Turtle mommy. Well, it was good to be alive at least. No more nausea, night sweats, and chills. Mother and child had a heart to heart in the great within and it was decided that the strong spirited little one could no longer take up residence in Venus' body. The egg now rested quietly in the nesting area in the sub-basement. It was nowhere near as large as the basking area in New York, but it was equipped with everything that was needed.

A very grateful Donatello made sure the egg was stable and kept at a certain temperature before he cordoned off and secured the nesting area. Once he returned to Venus' room he smiled at the sight that met his eyes. Little Tokio was squatting next to his mother on her bed while Mike and Raph set Gidget and Milan on the comforter. Venus laughed when Milan immediately buried his face in the pink fluffiness then looked up at her grinning. Tokio took that as his cue to tell his mama about all the things she missed while she was sick.

"Ama, giji sahk heh tow! Lum lau spineh, puteh choo choo!" The baby looked up at his mater to see if she was enjoying his little story. Venus merely smiled down at her little one then glanced over at Mikey.

"He said Gidget sucked her toe. And he ate some spinach. I fed it to him with the 'here comes the choo choo train' bit and he enjoyed that...a lot," Mikey translated. Venus had an 'aha' moment then praised her little one for eating all his spinach. Raphael scoffed with a lopsided smirk.

"You really think you can understand that baby babble, bro?"

"Or course, my skeptical sibling! Great minds think alike!"

"Whateva, Mikey." With a chuckle the proud uncle tickled Tokio's chubby thighs as the baby snuggled with his mother. Venus noticed Don as he stepped into the door.

"Good morning, Donatello."

"Hey, Venus. Glad to see you up and in such a good mood."

"I'm always in a good mood when I'm with my babies!" she cooed as she nuzzled Milan's little beak. "Where is Leo?"

"Down in the dojo with the Ancient One and Karai." The females Turtle's smile vanished from her face.

"What is that woman doing here?" Donatello was a little taken aback by her venomous tone.

"The Ancient One had her and Leo stabilize your chi so he could concentrate on his part."

"Who's idea was it to bring her here and who brought her into our home?"

"It was the Ancient One's idea, V," Mikey explained. "He used one of his mystic porthole thingies to go get her. It's a good thing cuz we're a little low on gas." Raph feigned a backhand at his brother's quip.

"Was she checked for tracking devices to prevent the Foot from discovering our home?" she further inquired as she patted Gidget on her carapace.

"Well, yea. Leo made sure to check her thoroughly..." Don started before Venus interrupted him.

"What do you mean by 'thoroughly', Don?" Her imagination ran wild with thoughts of her mate checking every hidden part of the human woman's body. "Never mind. I'll ask him myself!"

Venus picked up each of the children and placed them in their cribs. She moved towards the door as fast as she could on her still wobbly legs. As Raphael reached out to stop her but Venus nudged his hand away. Once she made it down to the dojo she didn't bother knocking. She stopped short when she saw her mate standing next to the dark haired woman. Their backs were to her and they were standing too close to each other for her liking. Leo and Karai turned at the sound of the dojo door sliding open.

"Mei-chan, what are you doing up? You should be resting." Venus strategically placed herself between her mate and the human as she grabbed Leonardo by the hand. "You may or may not remember her, but this is Karai."

"We've met before," came her response as she gave the human a cold glare. Karai only raised an eyebrow in response. "Why is she here?"

"I am here at the behest of the honorable Ancient one to help with your precarious health situation," Karai practically snarled. She didn't appreciate being referred to in the third person when she was standing right there.

"Well, I'm better now, so leave."

"I beg your pardon?"

Leo squeezed Venus' hand while giving her a sharp look.

"What Venus is trying to say is that she's very grateful for your help and appreciates your support in a difficult situation."

The hard look in Venus' eyes told Karai otherwise. However, the kunoichi was not so easily intimidated. She crossed her arms and returned the glare with a smirk.

"Still upset over an innocent little kiss, girl? Pathetic. You know if I wanted him I would already have him. You wouldn't be able to compete with me."

Leo got a firm grasp on Venus before she could move an inch toward Karai.

"What she talking about, kumquat?" the Ancient One inquired as he waddled out of a dark corner.

"Nothing, most honored one," came Leo's quick response as he slapped a hand over Venus' mouth.

"Oh well, if it nothing then I might as well take you on home, Karai-chan."

The Foot Clan leader turned up her button nose at the use of the childish honorific.

"Very well, Master. It's time I got home to Kashi anyway." She turned to bow towards Leonardo. "It was good to see you again, friend. Stay strong and look towards a bright future for your growing clan."

"It was good to see you too, Karai-san. Have a safe journey."

With that the Ancient One opened a mystic portal, and for a brief moment they could see the opulent Oroku mansion on the other side. After the portal closed behind the two visitors Venus yanked Leo's hand from her mouth, glared at him for a solid five seconds, then quietly headed to the stairs.

"Mei-chan, what's gotten into you?" the young father called after her.

"You should have never let her come here. That woman cannot be trusted," his mate called back.

"I know, that's why I took precautions..."

"Don't let it happen again, Leonardo."

Leo wasn't sure why Venus had such a harsh tone with him, and it irritated him that she was trying to give him an order. He was the head of this clan, damn it! However, he held his peace for the time being. He was going to get to the bottom of her foul attitude.

One early morning in mid-May a certain crimson-masked mutant was up and about. It was May 15th, and Raph was up for some serious riding. He geared up and stepped into the sunroom, which was the fastest way to the barn where they parked all of their vehicles. He paused at the sight of his oldest sibling sitting in one of the wicker chairs while a little Turtle tot sat on his own little plastic seat. He was flipping through a little cardboard book and making up his own little baby babble story to go along with the colorful pictures.

Raphael gave his brother and nephew a quick wave before heading out of the sunroom door. As he made his way to the barn he heard Leo say, "Ok, Toki-chan, play time's over. Be a good boy and go potty."

"Heh, that's not something I ever expected to hear on my birthday, especially from Leo," Raph mused as he pursed his lips.

Tokio was developing faster than the average human so at five months he was very mobile. He was even attempting to walk and trying very hard to talk like the grown-ups surrounding him. Unfortunately only two people could understand him: June and his uncle Michelangelo. On top of that his increased mobility caused problems with his diaper situation. Because of his shell he couldn't wear disposable diapers and he was starting to get too big for the cloth ones. His parents decided he must be fully potty trained as soon as possible to help prevent future nasty accidents. For now they were using an awards system to help him become aware of his bodily functions and respond accordingly.

So far the little mutant could say the word potty quite clearly, but he only voiced the term after the deed was already done. His parents would watch for signs in his face and behavior in order to get him to the potty before he soiled himself. They hoped he would soon make the connection to the physical signs and getting to where he needed to be on his own. His training was an urgent need since the twins were only a few months behind in development.

April and Casey warned Leo and Venus that the potty training could take time and that they should have patience. June was over a year old and still had the occasional accident. They knew over time those incidents would become less and less frequent. That didn't make the clean-up any less frustrating. The potty training could be so stressful for Leo at times the young father often felt he was the one being trained, not his son. When he was not out patrolling their territory his every move seemed to revolve around his little boy's 'movements.' The fact that Leo was a neat freak didn't help matters either, so he often found himself venting his frustrations in the dojo. Venus seemed to be handling the whole thing with quiet patience, with the occasional sigh and shake of the head. She never lost her smile, though. After she recovered from her illness she was pretty much grateful to be in the land of the living.

Gidget and Milan were pretty curious about their older cousin's plastic throne. Gidget had crawled up to Tokio and reached up to grab his book. As the older tot held the book out of her reach she pulled herself up on Toki's knees and leaned into his face until they touched beaks. This was her 'watcha doin'?' pose she often used while watching her uncle Donatello.

"All right, Gidge. Give Toki some room so he can do his business," Leo admonished as he lifted the little female terrapin into his arms. Moments later Gidget was frowning and Milan had his nose turned up while staring at the little prince on the pot. "Ahh! Finally! Good job, Toki-chan! Let's get you all cleaned up and get you that popsicle I promised you!"

Hearing that the twins gave each other a look that said, 'we make a stinky mess every day and we don't get a popsicle! What's up with that!'

Meanwhile, the birthday Turtle had made it to the other side of the man made lake to meet up with his good buddy, Casey Jones. Raph's best friend loaded some fishing gear onto a small motor boat while Raph found a secluded spot to park his Shell Cycle. Once the Turtle got to the edge of the pier Casey slapped a fishing hat covered with lures on top of Raphael's round dome.

"Man, I've been lookin' forward to this, Case," Raph crowed as he donned a fishing vest.

"Yeah, this is gonna be great! The weather's fair and we got the lake to ourselves. Can't get any better than this!"

Soon the pair boarded the motor boat and headed for the center of the large lake. They cast their lines and relaxed, enjoying the sights and sounds. Raph enjoyed the quiet splendor of nature, for it contrasted greatly with the hustle and bustle of the city. Though there were some things about the city he did enjoy, like the convenience of easy access to certain resources, and of course, bustin' the heads of bad guys, he really did appreciate the openness of the countryside. It gave him a great sense of freedom.

The two friends didn't care if the fish were biting today. The two gear heads enjoyed discussing how they had improved the fuel efficiency of their respective bikes and any new features they planned to add in the near future. Somehow the subject turned to children. Casey bragged about how smart his little girl was and how she was growing up so fast. Raph spoke of how he was surprised at how much he enjoyed his niece and nephews, and how each of them had their own little quirks and unique personalities.

"Say, Raph, you ever thought about having a kid of your own?" The presently maskless Turtle sat in quiet reflection for a moment.

"Actually, yeah, I gave it some thought. I guess it would be kind of cool havin' my own little bastard runnin' around raisin' hell. Then again...I don't want to disrespect Leo."

"Well, shit, that didn't stop Mikey and Don! Besides, isn't it up to Venus? She did say she's up for it..."

"Why you gotta say it like that? Like she's some whore in a back alley ready to spread her legs for anybody?"

"Oh, c'mon, Raph! You know I didn't mean it like that!"

"Whateva..." He humphed as he recast his line. "Look, don't you worry about whether or not I'm gonna have kids, Case. When I'm good and ready I'll see to it that it happens. But when I do it I want to do it the right way. We got enough issues going on with us without me stirrin' up trouble."

"Since when do you have a problem with stirrin' up trouble?" Casey teased.

"Shut the fuck up and reel in your catch. Your line is jerkin'."

Casey reeled in his line to reveal one of the most pitiful catches either one of them had ever seen.

"Damn, Casey. What are you waitin' for? Throw it back!" The human turned to his mutant friend with a mischievous grin.

"Maybe I oughta throw you with it!"

That lead to a shoving match that escalated until both friends tumbled into the water. Casey surfaced first, then Raph popped up by his side and spit water into his face. They both snickered as they watched Raph's fishing hat float by. The Turtle then slapped the soaked head gear onto his head.

"Casey, ol' buddy...this has got to be...THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER! I LOVE NATURE!"

His loud outburst frightened an entire flock of water birds into flight. By now both of them were laughing in earnest.

"You know, Raphie-boy, this calls for a beer!"

"I agree!"

The soaking wet comrades spent the next couple hours sitting on the pier, knocking back beers, and getting drunk off their asses. Needless to say, Raph was in paradise.

*Next Chapter: Raphael can't deny his growing desire to become a father. But who should he talk to about it first? Leo or Venus? Also, Turtle baby number four is soon to arrive and no one knows what to expect.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

He had faced deadly enemies, powerful forces of nature, mystical madmen, crazy scientists, and death itself. However, nothing seemed more nerve racking and intense as the moment he was in right now.

Raphael sat across from his brother in a clearing in the woods far from the farmhouse. It was the only way of insuring their privacy besides taking a three hour road trip back to New York without the others. Raph preferred the woods anyway. Less of a chance of interruption, unless a rabid badger felt like stopping by, or a huge bird felt like shitting on one of their heads. Other than that the clearing was just right for their conversation. Now if only he could think of what to say.

"All right, Raph. You brought me out here so we could talk, right?"

"Uh...yeah."

"So talk already!" Leonardo could tell that his brother was very nervous about something, and would be glad to know the cause.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that, bro." He cleared his throat and looked up at the clan leader while avoiding direct eye contact. "Ya remember last year when I made a big stink about the whole having kids situation?"

"Well, yeah. I don't think any one of us could forget that. What about it?"

"Ah...ya see the main reason I made such a big deal about it had to do with, ya know how we grew up strugglin' to survive and stuff..."

"Yes. And your point?" Leo could kind of see what Raph was getting at, but wanted his nervous sibling to say it himself.

"I...I've been watching you and Mike with your kids, and I've even been watching them grow and learn. You guys look so damn happy and the kids are healthy and well adjusted. So what I'm saying is, I take back all that stuff I said about having kids being a bad idea." Raph quiet as he picked at some blades of grass. Leo sat in silence for he had a feeling his brother wasn't finished yet. "I've also been thinkin'...about having a kid of my own."

"Well, why don't you?"

"That's the thing, Leo! After Venus had that health scare with Don's kid I've been havin' second thoughts about it. I know she's feeling much better and looking great now, but I don't want to risk her gettin' sick again. Besides, it's pretty obvious you and V have this bond going and I don't want to be all disrespectful and sneaky about it by going behind your back, and..."

"Raph, say no more." Hearing those words Raphael looked over at his older brother and saw something he didn't expect. There was a smile on Leonardo's face. It was as if he was proud of Raph for some reason. "Raph, I have to thank you right now, my brother."

"What for?"

"For approaching me about this with respect, and like an adult. Things could have been so much easier if the others had done the same thing."

"So, you're saying it's ok?"

"As long as Venus agrees. We can both talk to her about it now, if you want."

Raph couldn't believe it. He had come prepared for a fight, or a heated argument at least. He had seen how jealous Leo could act. Then again, maybe it wasn't jealousy he observed, just Leo acting out of irritation because of disrespect. His epiphany felt kind of good, in a weird way. The whole baby situation had altered the family dynamics leaving Leo and Don butting heads and Raph and Leo getting along better than ever. It was nice to get along with his brother for a change, but still weird.

"Ok, Leo, that'll work. You up for some sparrin' though? If we come back to the house too fast the others might think that's kind of strange for us."

"Yeah, you're right." Leo back flipped into a battle stance. "Ready to get your shell kicked?"

"Shouldn't that be my line, bro?" Raph retorted with a smirk as he balled his fists.

Back at the farmhouse Venus was preparing dinner when she sneezed. Michelangelo was at her side in a flash.

"What's the matter, sweetness? You're not getting sick again are you?"

"No, Mikey, I'm fine," she answered, giving the worried Turtle a kind smile. "Guess I used a little too much pepper." Mike had a little taste of the champuru.

"Nah, you didn't use too much. Tastes fine. Maybe someone was talking about you."

"Oh, Mikey, you've been watching too much anime again," Donatello playfully scolded as he stared at his laptop screen.

"C'mon, bro! You can never watch too much anime, or horror movies, or action thrillers, or...hey, what are you looking at, Don? Hardcore porn?"

"NO, MIKEY!" Don growled. "I'm checking out some baby names."

"Yeah, right. You keep telling yourself that bro," Mike snickered as he patted his techno geek brother on the head. That is until Don practically shoved the laptop in his face. "Oh. So you are checking out baby names. Cool. Why are you looking at girls' names, though?"

"Because my egg is incubating between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius, that's why."

"Huh? What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

Donatello was about to explain in detail when Venus announced that dinner was ready.

"Have Leo and Raph returned yet?"

"Haven't seen 'em, sweetness. Guess they're off somewhere beatin' the shell outta each other," Mike responded as he and Don placed the babies in their high chairs. "Raph's been disappearing a lot again and you know how much that pisses off Leo. He's probably givin' Raph a stern talking to, which leads to Raph cursing him out, then Raph tries to leave, and then Leo tries to stop him and they end up..."

The babbling Turtle stopped when the two siblings he was referring to walked into the dining room looking quite calm and no worse for wear. Don and Mike watched in silence as the often warring Turtles went into the kitchen to wash their hands. Venus greeted them both with a smile as she put the family meal on a serving plate.

"Food smells good, Mei-chan," Leo complimented as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Why thank you! I aim to please." Moments later a very cordial Raphael offered to take the serving plate off her hands.

"I got this, V. You've done enough so go relax."

He didn't have to tell the mama Turtle twice. As he set the table Mike watched Leo and Raph out of the corner of his eye. While their family was far from normal they were acting strange even for them. But Mike was one nosy, and at times sneaky, Turtle so he just had to find out what the deal was with his brothers.

'In due time, Mikey. In due time,' was his inner chant as they all sat down for their meal. Dinner was pretty much uneventful. Venus was proud that her eldest managed to feed himself...for the most part. About half of the food made it into his mouth. The rest either landed in his lap or on the floor. Raphael didn't hesitate to help Venus clean up the mess. Donatello took notice but didn't say anything. He had been quietly romancing Venus the past few months and was very watchful of the other males. He remembered when Raph claimed he wanted not part of becoming a father over a year ago, but he knew feelings and minds can change. As Don cleared the table he nearly dropped the plates when he saw Raphael lean over to whisper something to Venus. After making a quick recovery and avoiding breaking all the dishes, Don rushed off to the kitchen. Leo was competition enough for Venus' heart. If he had to deal with Raph too he could really have a fight on his hands.

Later that night while Michelangelo and Donatello were on watch, the three other adults met in the dojo. Raphael had asked Venus to talk with him after dinner, so she didn't understand why Leonardo was there also.

"Would you guys care to explain what this is all about? I need to catch up with Mike and Don on patrol."

Raph gave her quite a serious look before giving her an answer.

"Well, V, this is all about one important thing. That kiss Karai gave Leo in the Battle Nexus."

Wrath exploded across the female mutant's visage while Leo's bore an expression of borderline panic.

"Raph, don't make me regret helping you out with this! Be serious!"

Ok, ok! Gomen!' Raph apologized momentarily reverting to Japanese. "Sorry to bring up that hardheaded harpy, Venus. I'm just kind of nervous about what I'm about to tell ya.." Her features softened as Raphael cleared his throat. "I've been watchin' you guys with the kids and it got me thinkin' about having a kid of my own. But I know you had a hard time with the last one so I didn't want to put you in a bad situation again."

"It's all right, Raphael. The Ancient One showed me what to do in case that ever happened again."

"Ok, but..."

"Raph, I'm a Turtle of my word. As I said before, I will give all of you an opportunity to have little ones. All I ask is for a few more weeks to regain my full strength. During that time we can discuss any concerns you have on your mind." Venus also wanted to give them time to form a closer bond before initiating a physical relationship, but she left that unsaid. Raph frowned while in deep thought as he considered everything Venus said.

"All right, that all sounds good to me. Leo, you gonna be cool with that?" He didn't want to have to kick the ass of a raging jealous Leo.

"We already talked about this, bro."

"Not with V around. I just wanted to make sure..."

"Ok, ok! I'm cool with it!" The cool headed mutant paused as he glanced between his brother and mate. "Just make sure I get to watch." He waited for the shock registered on their faces before he burst out laughing. "I'm just kidding! But seriously, you can make a video for me."

"Leo!" Venus admonished him as she slapped him on the arm.

"Just joking! Had a Mikey Moment there. You still love me, right?"

"Yes." Venus chuckled lightly as Leo leaned over and gave her a kiss. She then gave an uncomfortable looking Raph a hug and a kiss on the cheek, hoping he would enjoy the thrill of the chase that was to come.

The next several weeks were interesting to say the least. Mikey's hands were full since the twins had finally learned to crawl instead of scoot. Mike had fun making videos of the pair as they explored and got into one mess after another. The young father thought it was hilarious, until Venus gave him 'the look' and made him clean up the mess. He just made sure to make a photo of the twins with his knee pads on their heads the background on his Shell Cell.

Soon July 10th had arrived and it was Donatello's 21st birthday. Everyone was curious about how he would celebrate. They wondered if he would have a few margaritas while watching a Forensic Files marathon or unveil some useful invention he had been working on. Perhaps he would rig up some homemade fireworks to mark the celebration. However, Donatello didn't do any of those things. He spent his birthday in the sub-basement with the egg...reading to it. In fact, he had been reading to his unhatched offspring every day since he placed it in the nest. He read all kinds of literature to it it from books about colors and numbers to books about string theory and complex robotics. Of course Mikey teased Don about his choice of reading material.

"Geez, Don! You're gonna make the kid a total egghead before he or she's even hatched!"

"And what's wrong with stimulating my child's brain while in-vitro? By the way, it's a she, Mikey."

"How do you know?"

"I already explained to you how I know!"

"Yeah, but you explained it in nerd-lish. You know I'm not fluent in that even after all these years of living with you." Don gave his little brother a good hard glare before returning to reading Steven Hawking's A Brief History of Time. "So, did ya pick a name for your baby girl yet?"

"Yes I did. Aphrodite will be her name," the resident genius proudly announced.

"Nice! After the goddess, huh?"

"Actually, I named her after Aphrodite Jones, my favorite criminologist and forensic psychologist." Michelangelo stared at his brother for a solid ten seconds.

"Why am I not surprised. Poor kid's gonna grow up with a complex!"

"Whatever, Michelangelo!" Don scoffed. "Now could you please go bother someone else? I'm getting to the best part of the book and I don't need any interruptions."

"Yeah, sure. You would have been better off naming her Donatella since she's already doomed to a life of nerd-dom."

Mike ran up the steps, barely avoiding a bottle of algecide pitched at his shell.

On a quiet evening at the end of August Donatello and Venus welcomed Aphrodite into the world. Of all of the Turtle babies she was the biggest at the time of her hatching. She was long limbed and built solid. She inherited her beautiful complexion and coloring from her father. There was one thing about her that was very different from the other hatchlings. Her eyes. Her right eye was a deep brown like Donatello's, but the left eye was amber. Venus immediately recognized those eyes from the great within. As she cradled her baby in her arms the mother could sense that powerful chi the overwhelmed her months before. She could tell there was something curious about this child, just from the wise look in her eyes. Venus got the feeling that this little one had something to tell her or show her that was very important. Since the baby lacked the ability to speak the young mother knew she would have to wait. She knew from the contented smile on Aphrodite's face it had to be something good.

Next Chapter: Venus and Raph make baby plans and try to keep it on the down low. However, can anyone ever keep anything from nosy Mikey?


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

There were benefits for being a part of the humble Hamato clan. Due to the fortune April had been bequeathed by her former wealthy client, Max Winters, Casey's grandmother's farmhouse had been transformed into a Ninja Turtle haven. That home included two family size Japanese styled bathrooms, each complete with four stools, four wooden buckets, and huge ofuro large enough to fit at least three of the adult Turtles.

It was about 3 a.m., and the brooding Raphael was presently in the second wash room in the subbasement. He sat quietly on one of the stools with his eyes closed while his carapace received a much needed scrubbing. The Turtle brothers often scrubbed each other's shells to remove any algae or fungus that would be hiding in the grooves. After Venus came to live with them she would participate in the ritual happily. Even Master Splinter had thought nothing of it since the act wasn't considered a sexual one. It was merely an 'you wash my shell, I'll wash yours' situation, nothing more, nothing less. Things were a little different for Raph this time for this was the first time the female suggested a different purpose for the ritual.

First of all this was the first time the two of them ever bathed alone together. Second, during their previous private discussions Venus had suggested that they do this in order to get used to each other's touch. And lastly, Raphael was nervous as hell. In the back of his mind he knew why they had agreed to use the wash room in the subbasement instead of the one upstairs. That purpose was the same reason he would run off every now and then to be alone and away from the others. It was part of his 'dirty secret' that he knew Venus would witness firsthand if things went a certain way.

A tap on the back of his shell was his signal to pick up his bucket of bathing water and pour it over his back. Venus used a clean washcloth to wipe away any excess algecide from Raph's carapace before he sloshed more rinsing water over his shoulder. The young female found herself staring at the criss-crossed scars on his shell. Of all the Hamato brothers Raphael had the most. As he prepared a third rinse Venus gingerly ran her fingers over some of the scars. They were numerous, but not as deep as Leonardo's, including the one on Leo's right shoulder. All of the brothers bodies bore scars of some type, but none as deep as the one in their hearts. Venus was determined to comfort each of them as best she could.

After his shell was good and rinsed Raph moved his stool as Venus sat on another. Once he was in position behind her shell he applied the algecide to her shell in turn. It was a little too quiet for him so he decided to at least try to strike up a conversation.

"You know this algecide used to smell kind of funny til you added that...uh..."

"Herbal extract?"

"Yeah, dat's it! Since you added that stuff to it it smells pretty nice. What d'ya put in it?"

"Just a hint of jasmine. Didn't want to make the odor too strong. You are ninja so you don't want to give away your location to an enemy by your scent."

"Eh, it's no biggie. It's a whole lot more subtle than when we moved around the city smellin' like shit."

Raphael chuckled as Venus stifled a laugh. He found himself relaxing as he scrubbed her shell in a circular motion. Her shell was smoother and rounder than the males, and nearly flawless without any battle scars that he could see. He stiffened when one of his hands brushed against her left butt cheek. Thinking that was his signal to rinse her carapace, Venus splashed water over her shoulder, splashing Raphael in the face in the process. She quickly turned at the sound of his sputtering.

"Oh, Raph! I'm so sorry!"

"S'okay," he coughed as he wiped a hand over his face. He scooted his stool back a little then bid her to continue the rinse. As Venus splashed the water over each shoulder Raphael had a sudden boldness. His previous touch was purely accidental, but this time he purposely reached out and touched Venus' tail. When she paused to smile at him over her shoulder that emboldened him even more. He cupped his hand under the part of her rear that was hanging over the stool, then reached further to trail his hand over her wet thigh.

"Here. Use this." Venus slipped a bottle of bath gel into his hand, stood up and sat on the stool facing him. Raph didn't waste any time pouring a quarter sized drop of gel in his hands and rubbing them together to form a fine lather. He rubbed the sweet smelling suds all over her shoulders, arms, plastron, and legs. Venus scooted closer as he gave her thighs some more attention.

Raph's face bore deep concentration as he took in all the details of Venus' body. Her skin was the color of a wild Japanese fern, vibrant and glistening. The spots along her arms and thighs gave them a sun dappled appearance that was just lovely. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was enjoying this opportunity to admire her beauty up close. He paused to look over at her and witnessed her warm smile and a sparkle in her light brown eyes. Without thinking about it he leaned in to kiss her. It lasted but a moment and seemed to take both of them by surprise.

Raph practically jumped up from his stool to grab the hand held shower head. Venus closed her eyes as he thoroughly rinsed the foamy suds from her body. The pair wordlessly changed places on the stools. It was now Venus' turn to bath Raphael. She used another bath gel with a more masculine scent to it. It wasn't overpowering, but had a subtle, outdoorsy scent. It took both of her hands to get around his biceps. She could tell Raph took pride in his very developed muscles from the fact that he lifted weights every day. He was quite obviously the strongest physically of his brothers, yet the most vulnerable emotionally. He had gotten better with controlling his temper though, which made Venus feel very proud of him.

Venus tried to read Raph's expression as she rinsed the bath gel from his body. He had his usual stern expression, but she couldn't quite identify the look in his eyes. Was it fear? No, it had to be something else. She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she sat across from him. She glanced down at his tail. It was about twice the length of her own and curled up slightly at the tip. Raph flinched a bit when Venus touched his tail. He felt something twitch at the base and felt himself panic for a second. He had never been touched that way...well, not by anyone but himself...so he wasn't sure he was ready for Venus to see him in an excited state.

"Relax, Raph. I'm not going to hurt you."

"It's not me I'm worried about," he teased with a coy smile, trying to cover his apprehension.

The young shinobi began to massage his tail more aggressively as Raph succumbed to mixed feelings of pleasure and panic. She smiled when she saw something purplish emerge from the base of his tail. Raph wiggled at bit on his stool and grit his teeth as his usually hidden appendage gradually exposed it full length. He forced himself to relax by breathing slowly and deeply. His gaze didn't leave Venus and she licked her lips at the sight of his now almost fully erect penis. Unlike an average, non-mutated turtle whose penis is normally about the length of his body, Raphael's stopped just below the top scutes of his plastron. It was an impressive thirteen inches in length by human standards. The purple, flower-like head was not as wide as a normal turtle, but more streamlined. Venus stroked the 'petals' which quivered at her touch. A low moan escaped Raph's throat as Venus planted a soft kiss near the center of the 'bloom.'

The aroused Hamato brother could feel his head starting to swim a bit, so he leaned his back against the washroom wall. He looked down at Venus, his face awash with adoration, as she lovingly flicked her tongue around and in between the stiff, violet colored flesh. Raph could feel an eruption building within, so he placed a hand on Venus' cheek and pushed her away. She seemed to understand the wordless gesture and went over to the covered ofuro. Once she removed the cover, steam from the water within rose, fogging her vision a bit. She climbed into the cedar tub then held out a hand of invitation to Raphael, who still had a far off look in his eyes.

Once he pulled himself together enough to get up and move, he joined Venus in the ofuro. The warm water caused his member to partially retreat back into his tail and the 'petals' to fold in a bit. That reaction was soon remedied when Venus pushed back against his crotch.

"Leo was right about you. You_ are_ a damn tease," Raph commented with a sly grin. Venus didn't have a chance to protest his comment. She was too busy being pleasantly surprised that Raphael had found his way inside of her without any guidance from her. Once he got a firm hold on her he thrust further as he bit down on her shoulder. Venus could barely keep it together while he kissed and sucked on her neck. She found herself fighting an unexplainable urge to pull away from him. It wasn't as if he was hurting her. In fact she was reaching the height of her pleasure. Raph made a sound between a laugh and a growl when Venus began to claw at his arms wrapped around her holding her steady. "Oh, no, missy. You're not getting away just yet. Not until I'm finished with you."

Raphael was quite thorough in completing his task nonetheless. Raph and Venus' enjoyable venture was not as clandestine as they thought though. The rest of the household was stirring upstairs. Donatello was bathing his daughter in the upstairs washroom while Leonardo occupied the small water closet next to that washroom. That left Michelangelo with no place to go but to the subbasement water closet. Moments after he had settled on the commode his sensitive hearing picked up two voices. One was deep and gruff and the other was lilting and feminine. Mikey couldn't tell what the voices were saying, but from the sound he had a pretty good idea what was going on in the next room. His body tingled with excitement when it became clear who the voices belonged to.

'Damn, Raph! Sounds like you're showing Venus no mercy!' the youngest Hamato thought when he heard the female voice call out his brother's name. He felt a little ashamed about his voyeuristic behavior but not ashamed enough to put his hands over his ears or even knock on the wall to let them know someone could hear them. After a few minutes all grew quiet until Mike heard the sound of water draining out of a tub. He was glad no one could witness him sitting on the commode flush faced and grinning stupidly, and fighting to keep his own excitement in check. He didn't budge until he was sure the others had left the washroom. He breathed a sigh of relief until he made a horrible realization. There was no toilet paper on the holder. He then remembered that extra rolls were kept in the little cabinet beneath the sink, with was just outside of his reach. He knew he had to be creative with this retrieval mission. He thanked whatever benevolent gods he could think of that he was very flexible as he slowly inched his left foot to the cabinet handle. He froze when he heard someone jiggling the handle. With a girlish squeal he announced to the would be intruder that the toilet was occupied. There was no verbal response so he wasn't sure if the person had left. With some clever maneuvering he was able to grab a roll of toilet paper with his toes.

His retrieval mission a complete success, Mikey whistled a happy tune as he washed his hands. The next few notes caught in his throat as he left the water closet to see Raphael standing across the hall. Mike flashed a nervous smile and waved at his brother as he made his way to the stair well. Raph was giving him his 'how long were you there and what did you hear?' glare. Mikey wasn't hanging around long enough to explain a damned thing. He might have been goofy, lazy, and flat out crazy at times, but he wasn't stupid.

Later that morning Mikey was distracted from the previous awkwardness by visits from several of their family friends. Leatherhead, Dr. Okonkwo, and the Joneses had all come to see Donatello's pride and joy, Aphrodite, whom her uncle Mikey lovingly referred to as Lovey. He thought her given name was a bit of a mouthful. Atima was the first to gush over the baby Turtle as she held her friend's child in her arms.

"Oh, Donnie, she's a perfect little one! And her eyes are stunning! I can tell she's going to be a heart breaker," the human cooed. After a while she noticed April glaring at her so she reluctantly handed the infant mutant over to the redhead.

As the visitors fussed over the newborn, Venus and Raphael sat off to the side watching. They didn't speak much, for they were still basking in the afterglow of their activities earlier that morning. Soon Michelangelo announced that breakfast was ready. As the pair got up from the couch they shared a brief but meaningful glance. They had enjoyed their bonding experience and looked forward to more enjoyable times to come.


	20. Chapter 20

A.N.: I apologize for the delay in updating. I have been dealing with serious health issues. Every since my cancer surgery I've been having difficulty now and then. Some days are better than others. There was a time when the medication was too strong and it affected not only my work but my general health. I'm doing better now so it's easier to focus on the story once again. Thank you for your patience.

Chapter 20

He couldn't believe how beautiful they were. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it before. A pensive Raphael knelt next to the cozy nesting area one fine autumn evening. Two large, leathery spheres rested in the rich, moist soil. The humid environment had allowed some fungus and moss to crop up here and there, which had let Donatello know that the system he set up was working properly. The nest was safe and secure, yet that didn't keep Raphael from constantly checking on his unhatched offspring. He chuckled inwardly at the memory of him teasing Mikey and Don about doting over their little ones before they hatched. Now that he had sired a couple of kumquats, as the ancient One would say, he identified with his brothers.

As he gazed down at the pair of eggs he wondered what they would look like. He imagined that he would try not to spoil them rotten or baby them. Then they might turn out like Mikey. He definitely didn't want his kids to be lazy goofs. On the other hand, Raph did notice how much his youngest sibling had matured since Gidget and Milan came into the world. He gave Venus most of the credit for that because when it came to the children she didn't take any shit from anybody.

Raphael was jostled out of his thoughts by movement he noticed out of the corner of his eye. He saw Don pacing around the room writing in a notebook and muttering to himself.

"Uh, Don, what gives?" Don snapped to attention looking as if he was just noticing his brother was in the room.

"You say something, Raph?"

"Yeah. What the hell are you doing?" Donatello pulled out a measuring tape and tiny surveyor's flags from his utility pouch then knelt on the ground.

"I'm trying to determine where the tunnels will begin and end before I start on my next project."

"I hate to sound stupid, but what tunnels?" Raph frowned when he caught a glimpse of Donatello rolling his eyes in the dim light.

"The tunnels we talked about when we first got this house. We need a means of escape in case, God forbid, that someone discovers us living out here. Besides, Tokio is about to turn one, and you know what that means..." Now it was Raph's turn to roll his eyes.

"Oh yeah. Betcha Leo's gonna start the kid's ninja training, especially now that he's walkin' an' talkin' real good. But what does that have to do with tha tunnels?"

"Well, I figure it'll take a good six to eight months to construct the tunnels. By then Toki will be ready for basic stealth training." Raph looked a little shocked at hearing that.

"Did Leo put you up to this?" Don chuckled as he looked up from his notes.

"Not really, but he has been urging me to get started. The whole tunnel thing was my idea. And don't worry about safety. LH and Casey will be providing assistance."

"Wait a minute! Casey's going to be in on this? You sure about this, Don? I love the guy, but he can be kind of..."

"Clumsy, I know. Casey's going to act mostly as a supplier of materials that I don't have access to since I'm...well, a mutant turtle. Can't just walk into a lumberyard and ask for supplies."

"Yeah, I'm sure that would go over well," Raph interjected with a sarcastic smirk.

"The engineering will be planned out by me and L.H. I hope we can get started soon, though. You know before the ground gets too hard for digging." Donatello noticed his brother's frown at that last statement. "Don't worry. We'll start digging under the barn then end the tunnels under the nesting area. I wouldn't dare disturb your precious eggs."

"Damn right," Raph muttered as he turned his attention back to his silent offspring. "So, how's Lovie?"

"Her name's Aphrodite. And she's growing fast. Seems that all of the children are developing at an accelerated rate. Not as quickly as we grew, according to what Master Splinter had told us, but surely faster than the average human. Tokio isn't even a year old yet and he seems to be ahead of June, who's almost two..."

Don paused when he noticed his brother had grown unusually quiet. Raph's countenance had fallen, his fists were clenched, and his eyes shimmered with moisture. Donatello knelt next next to his brother and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"We all miss him very much, Raph. I know he would have enjoyed being around the kids..."

Raph rested his hand on Don's then slowly removed his brother's hand from his shoulder.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better, Donnie, but talking about things that'll never happen is just makin' me feel worse."

Crestfallen, Donatello slumped his shoulders in defeat. The presence of their children had brought so much joy, but it was tainted with much loss and sorrow. The purple clad terrapin was determined to find a way to change all that somehow.

In contrast to the quiet conversation in the subbasement, things were bustling with activity upstairs. Venus and Michelangelo were dealing with boisterous little ones fueled by excitement and anticipation. No one could blame the little Hamatos for being so wound up. This would be their first time being out of the house since their clan moved out of the sewers. Mikey was very excited himself for this was his most favorite day of the year. It was Halloween, the only time the mutants could go out in public without causing a stir. The humans always assumed they were in costume.

Mikey actually was in full costume this year though. He once again donned his Turtle Titan duds complete with shield and grappling hook. However he truly outdid himself by adding a couple sidekicks to the mix. He and Venus spent weeks fashioning costumes for Gidget and Milan successfully transforming them into the Titan Twins. Their costumes weren't as complex as their father's but they did consist of the same basic colors of green, orange, and yellow. Gidget's cuteness factor went into overload when Venus tied her yellow mask into a tidy bow. The little turtle girl was all smiles when she saw herself in the mirror. Milan was having a ball flinging around his little toy nunchaku. That is until he accidentally hit his twin sister on the head. Mikey comforted and kissed his bawling little girl while Venus took the toy weapon and replaced it with a trick-or-treat bag.

The young mother decided to keep her and Tokio's costumes simple and fun by going as a mother kappa and her baby. Using a bit of make-up she enhanced their natural markings with streaks of red and bluish green on their faces and arms. She also fashioned large umbrella plant leaves out of craft wire and rice paper for them to carry over their heads. At first she considered dressing him as a samurai but soon discovered that her eldest child is not a fan of clothing. Who could blame him. All day long he was surrounded by family that went unclothed for the most part. Venus thought that unfortunate that Tokio refused to were the dark blue hakama and matching yukata. She thought he looked adorable in them. She even tried to tempt him into wearing it with a toy katana, but that bribe failed miserably. So the kappa costume won in the end. The young mother couldn't complain since he still looked adorable.

The two parents were just about finished getting ready to head out when there was a knock at the front door. Mikey opened the door to a sight to behold. It was the Joneses dressed head to toe in khaki with floppy brown leather hats. Casey was grinning from ear to ear holding a huge blow-up toy crocodile while April and little June each held smaller, plushie versions. For a moment a perplexed Michelangelo scratched his head until his face lit up with an 'ah-ha!' moment.

"Let me guess. You guys are the Irwins! Casey's Steve, April is Terri, and Junebug is Bindi!" Cheering and laughter was Mikey's indication that he was correct. "One person is missing though. Where's baby Bob?" The human couple's laughter went from playful to nervous. The turtle noted the sudden change in mood as he let the family in.

"Uh, Mikey...'Bob' isn't born yet." Mike accepted April's explanation, but didn't quite get the nervous behavior.

"You guys ok?" That's when April and Casey gave each other the 'should we tell him?' look. "All right guys, what's goin' on? Are you keeping secrets?"

"Naw, Mikey," came Casey's quick protest. "We'll tell you as soon as you get everybody in here."

Venus offered to gather the rest of the Hamatos while wondering what could be so important for the Joneses to announce. As she went into the subbasement to get Raph and Don she paused on the steps a moment realizing what Casey and April was about to tell them. She didn't dare spoil the surprise for the others though. Then again she could be wrong. Once all of the clan was gathered in the living room April made her announcement.

"I'm only going to say this once, that's why we gathered you all in here." The redhead took a deep breath then let out a joyous squeal. "You guys...I'm pregnant! Again!" Now it was Mikey's turn to squeal with joy. All of the Turtles were genuinely happy for their human friends. This Halloween evening was off to a good start. It wasn't long before the Hamatos (Mike and Venus, that is) and the Joneses had the kids out on the New York City streets for a little trick-or-treating. Their journey ended at the home of a close friend of Michelangelo, who lifted his son up to the doorbell and let him ring it. The children were quite startled when a very tall, dark skinned man dress in white, silver, and blue answered the door. The man's imposing presence had the youngsters in such a state of shock they forgot to say 'trick-or-treat', so Mike said it for them. The man responded with a good natured chuckle.

"Why if it isn't the Turtle Titan! It's so good to see you! Now who might these little heroes be?" he inquired with a nod towards the twins.

"Silver Sentry, these are my Titan Twins, Milan and Gidget. Kids, say hi to my good buddy the Silver Sentry!" Milan's intimidated silence and Gidget's run for cover behind her daddy got a chuckle out of all the grown-ups. "They're just a little shy of strangers. They'll come around. Especially once they see all that good food we smell!"

After the Silver Sentry invited them all into his home to enjoy the festivities, Turtle children did eventually warm up to him, though they were still wary of the other Justice Force members present. However they got along just fine with the other children there. There were a number of children from various local neighborhoods there in the strapping superhero's spacious home. A couple of them were dressed as Justice Force members but most were in either pirate costumes or dressed as 'sparkling vampires'. Mikey assumed their mothers or older sisters must have put those kids in those particular costumes.

Venus was enjoying the festivities while introducing her son to the other members of the Justice Force. She was so proud that Tokio was so well behaved and polite. He waited patiently for his 'haunted' cupcake and even thanked Tsunami for the treat in Japanese.

"Doitashimashite, okosan! I'm glad you're enjoying the party, little kappa."

Right then Toki lit up the room with a cuteness overload with a broad smile and frosting on the tip of his beak. In the meantime Gidget and Milan had toddled back to their mother looking a bit peeved. Gidget patted Venus on the thigh then pointed to her left.

"What is it, my sweet? Why do you look so troubled?" Venus could tell by the look on her daughter's face she was none too pleased.

"Daddy! Looka Daddy!" Venus did just that she see Michelangelo obviously bragging about his exploits as the Turtle Titan to one of the single mothers attending the party. Since he was caught up in impressing the ladies he hadn't noticed that his Titan Tots had wandered from his side. Gidget looked pretty upset about her father's lack of focus on her, however Milan seemed more interested in focusing on a bowl of candy on the coffee table. He stuffed a handful of sweets in his mouth with a gleeful 'yum!'. Venus picked him up before he could shovel any more into his already stuffed jowls, took Gidget by the hand and marched over to the twins' father.

Having finished his delicious cupcake, Tokio was now bouncing balloons around with June and a couple other children. In his excitement he accidentally stepped on a balloon and slipped. Fortunately the Silver Sentry was right there to catch him.

"Careful little guy. You don't want to hurt yourself. Where's your mommy?"

"Ovah dere." The turtle toddler pointed at his mother standing with Mikey, who was cowering under Venus' glower of disapproval.

"Oh, yeah. There she is. I see she's with your daddy."

"He not my daddy." The superhero glanced at the child in his arms not understanding. "My daddy at home." Silver Sentry stared at the child for a moment then looked back at Michelangelo.

"So, you, Milan, and Gidget have the same mommy...but not the same daddy?"

"Uh-huh," came Toki's matter-of-fact response. He then began to squirm in the man's arms so he could get back to playing with the balloons. Sentry took the cue and set the little mutant turtle down. Toki immediately ran over to June to join in the fun leaving the heroic host scratching his head. He thought for sure when Mikey RSVPed to his Halloween party invitation the Turtle Titan stated that he would be bringing his spouse and children. Several possible explanations for what the child had said swirled around in his head.

He considered asking Michelangelo to explain, but he could tell his friend was preoccupied once again with flirting with Jasper's mother, Ms. Handy. When he glanced over at Venus to observe her reaction he concluded that she didn't seem to care. Silver Sentry decided to set his ponderings aside and usher the party guests to his home theater. He had prepared a treat for the families that evening. He hoped they all would enjoy 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!' Ananda had told him that was a family favorite this time of year. As he handed out popcorn for the movie feature he decided he would relax and enjoy the show with everyone else and question his odd green friend later.

Venus turned down the offer of popcorn for her children. She was concerned that they might choke on the un-popped kernels. She gave them some of what Mikey called 'bug juice.' It was a protein rich drink Michelangelo had formulated about a month prior. It consisted of whole milk, a bit of honey, and a handful of crickets mixed in a blender. The kids loved it, which their mother couldn't understand at all. Since they drank it and loved it and it provided the children with much needed nutrients, their mother didn't complain. She just regretted asking Mikey what the ingredients were and also vowed never to divulge that to anyone else.

About half way into the movie Venus' Shell Cell vibrated. She signaled for Mike to keep an eye on Tokio as she excused herself to take the call. She was a little alarmed to hear an agitated Donatello on the line with Lovie bawling in the background.

"What's wrong, Donnie? What's got my baby so upset?" Venus could feel anxiety gripping at her heart and she did her best to remain calm.

"I'm not sure, V! I tried everything! I tried feeding her but she spit the bottle right out. I checked her diaper and she doesn't need to be changed. I tried entertaining her with toys and she just started screaming even more! I even tried to lay her down for a nap but that only pissed her off. You should have seen the expression on her face! It was like she would have punched me in the face if she could! Anyway, I'm at wits end, so could you please come home?" Donnie let out a sigh of frustration as his daughter balled up her tiny fists and managed to holler even louder.

"Hmmm...I think my little sweetie needs her mama. Put the Shell Cell up to her ear, Don." Hearing her mother's voice over the phone seemed to calm the baby a little, but not enough in her father's opinion. "Ok, looks like mama needs to come home to give her baby some TLC. I'm on my way, Don. Just hold on, ok?"

Within minutes Venus and Michelangelo had a carload of disappointed and crying turtle toddlers in the van. She tried to apologize to the costumed trio for cutting their enjoyable evening short, but their baby sister-cousin needed mama to come home. Unfortunately none of the children wanted any friggin' apology. They wanted more Great Pumpkin and more candy. Venus placated the children with a few pieces of Halloween candy while Mike drove them home as quickly and safely as possible.

Poor perturbed Silver Sentry was left with unanswered questions about the Turtle Titan and his female companion. After overhearing Venus' conversation while he replenished the popcorn he wondered just how many kids the lady had. He decided to file his musings away and get back to entertaining the rest of his guests.

By the time Venus and Mike made it back home they had a van full of sleeping turtle tots. The three hour drive lulled them to sleep. Once they parents carried the sleeping children inside they were greeted by a most adorable sight. Donatello and Raphael were sleeping soundly on the sectional. Don was sitting on the end slumped over with a teething ring dangling from his hand. Raphael was lying on his back, mouth wide open and sounding like a hibernating bear. All the while a now quiet and content looking Aphrodite was cradled in Raph's left arm. She smiled at the sight of her mother, who was carrying Tokio.

"I warned them not to drink my special blend of herbal tea." A bit startled, Venus turned to see Leonardo emerging from the kitchen. "I had brewed some for Lovie, but it looks like they needed to relieve some stress," Leo explained as he gently took his son from his mother's arms. "I'll put Toki-chan to bed while you get the baby."

"That's fine and good, but who's going to put these two lunkheads to bed?" Mikey whispered jokingly with a nod towards his sleeping brothers.

"Eh, I think it's best not to disturb them," Venus whispered back as she carried her youngest upstairs to the nursery. Within minutes all was quiet in the Hamato household except for the occasional muttering of an exhausted daddy and daddy-to-be.

"Please don't cry, Lovie. Why isn't Daddy good enough for you?" Don mumbled as she slumped further on the couch.

Once again the busy holiday season was well underway and stress levels were high among the Hamato clan. Between Christmas and Tokio's first birthday (which were the same day) Venus found herself a bit overwhelmed with the plans. The guys helped any way they could but being the doting mother she was, Venus wanted everything to be perfect. Never mind that little Toki may never remember his first birthday party. Don volunteered to provide music and lighting and a short video presentation for the family to enjoy. Mikey promised to make his nephew his first pizza, which he swore would be most epic. Venus didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. April was even kind enough to help a bit with the birthday party set-up on Christmas Eve, of all nights. April and Casey even passed up a visit with June's paternal grandmother in order to celebrate Leo's son's first birthday. Venus was very touched by the gesture.

"Oh, it's no problem, V. You all celebrated Junie's first so we definitely wanted to return the favor. Besides, I wouldn't miss this for the world! Tokio is June's best pal. She's always asking when their next play date will be. They have so much fun together."

"Yes, I noticed. Toki asks about June, too." As the two mothers finished putting up the basic decorations in the sun room the birthday boy to be toddled into the room with his playmate. Leonardo was close behind. The turtle tot scooted right up to his mother and patted her thigh.

"Kaa-san, am I one yet?"

"Not yet. That's tomorrow, Toki-chan."

"Morrow?"

"Yes, that's right." With a thoughtful pause he looked up at his father.

"When morrow?" Leo chuckled as he patted his son's bald little head. He saw the humor in him trying to explain the concept of time to an 11 month old.

"Tomorrow is very, very soon. If you go to bed and get some sleep it'll be here before you know it." Toki stood slack-jawed for a moment before his cherubic face bore a serious expression. He walked over to his father with arms upraised.

"Go bed now." The little mutant flinched at the outburst of laughter from the adults. June even joined in the laughter just for laughing's sake. Toki just looked confused because apparently he wasn't in on the joke. Eventually Leo fulfilled his son's request while smiling at the knowledge that he had convince his energetic son to go to bed on time for a change. So Leonardo carried his child off to bed with a raven haired 22 month old close behind. April quickly caught up with June and took her to the guest room. Soon on this night before Christmas all through the house not a creature was stirring...except for Klunk, who was sniffing at the cookie jar on the kitchen counter. No one heard when the cat finally managed to knock the lid off and make off with a single gingerbread cookie.

Early Christmas morning everyone in house (everyone that had a baby monitor in their room that is) was awakened by the musical genius of a now one year old mutant turtle. He was singing very loudly and proudly his version of 'Happy Birthday' for all who would listen.

"Happy to me! Happy to me! Happy Toki, happy to me!" came blasting from the monitors. The first several rounds of this were pretty cute, but it didn't take long for the adults to desire a toned down version. Even during bath time for the little ones Toki saw fit to announce that today was his 'birfday' with a big toothy grin. Since everyone in the house was wide awake by nine a.m. Leo and Raph went ahead and blew up balloons, Don tested the lights one last time, and Mikey put Tokio's epic personal birthday pizza in the oven. There was a few moments of cursing and yelling once he discovered the overturned cookie jar.

"Oh well. Nothing I can do except get to cooking and get to cleaning. I'll figure out who the culprit is later," Mike grumbled as he slid the small pizza into the top oven. He had also prepared Christmas dinner (which would now be Christmas brunch) the night before. He set that in the bottom over to warm up.

It didn't take much to keep the older children entertained. They had a ball playing with the candy cane and snowflake shaped balloons. Milan's favorite game was to bop anyone that walked by with his balloon. Gidget liked to press hers to the floor then crawl on top until it slipped from underneath her. Unfortunately the helium filled object would float away from her, so she would pout and point until one of the adults would retrieve it for her. June straddle hers and bounced on it like it was a hobby horse. Tokio enjoyed yanking on the string causing the balloon to bump against the garland and LED lights on the walls.

Soon it was time to honor the birthday boy. After all the older kids were settled in high chairs Mike brought in the birthday cake while Leo followed with a cupcake with a single candle on it. Everyone who could sang their birthday blessings, including most of the children, even though they got most of the words wrong. The sentiment was still there. When Leo set the cupcake in front of Toki all the adults gasped when the one year old reached for the flame. His father stopped his hand as his mother told him to blow out the candle, pursed her mouth and made a puffing sound to show him how it's done. It took Tokio a moment to catch on, but several puffs later the candle was out and there were cheers all around.

It was now time for Michelangelo to present his nephew with his epic birthday pizza. It was a small 'dirt pizza' with a chocolate ginger crust , chocolate pudding 'sauce', crushed Oreo cookies, topped with gummy worms, and real grasshoppers. Raphael stayed as far away from that concoction as he could. Venus cut a small piece for her eldest and saved the rest for later.

The birthday celebration was very enjoyable for all. The Hamato's wished their dear friend, Leatherhead, could have come but a snowstorm had made the roads back to New York quite treacherous. Even Dr. Okonkwo couldn't make it out for the same reason. They had sent birthday wishes and gifts in advance once they heard the storm was forecast. Donatello was kind and resourceful enough to set up a video chat so their missing friends could offer birthday and Christmas greetings live.

It didn't take long for the family room to become a sea of wrapping paper after everyone opened all their gifts. That didn't last long after Leo's inner neat freak kicked in. Raph, Mike, and Casey were too busy playing with Tokio and his brand new little soccer ball to care about the mess. Don and Venus took pity on Leo and helped him clean up all the wrapping paper. Even April pitched in after shooting her husband a dirty look. That was enough to get him to put down the toys and help too.

All the festivities soon had all the little ones worn out. Mike couldn't resist taking a picture of the sleeping youngsters. They were snoozing on blankets in the portable play area. Klunk was curled up next to the twins. Mike snickered as he snapped another photo after sticking shiny bows to the slumbering children's heads.

A couple months later June's second birthday and the twins' first birthday arrived. Casey went all out with a princess themed party for his little princess, complete with a white miniature pony and a ridiculously huge castle shaped moon bounce. This was all held indoors at a magnificent hall he had rented for the day. He even used a celebrity party planner to put the event together. It was a truly ostentatious event. April thought it was way too much for a two-year-old's birthday party. If she has a party like this now what the hell is she going to expect for her sweet sixteen? A blowout bash aboard Air Force One? All June seemed to care about was the moon bounce and the pony. She could care less about fancy shmancy pink and silver petit fours and a cake shaped like a unicorn.

Michelangelo took a different approach with his twins. He ordered them auto-tuning microphones and a Kid Karaoke machine. No one besides Mikey and his kids were thrilled with those gifts. Fortunately the Hamato clan didn't have any nearby neighbors to complain about the noise. The proud papa also constructed a custom made comic book featuring his Titan Tots based on photos of their adventures in mischief. Venus thought that was cute and reminded Mike to store the comic for sentiment. Being an avid comic book collector he knew exactly how to keep the precious keepsake in mint condition. He had thought ahead and made an extra copy to read to his kids.

Things calmed down for the next couple months in the transition from winter to spring. Aphrodite was now eight months and quite mobile and vocal. She was quiet and reserved like her father and head strong like her mother. Being female she was already almost as big as Milan, though nowhere near as agile. Venus noticed how protective Milan was towards Lovie compared to the other children. He was often by her side playing with her and talking to her in his gentle way. Milan seemed to have a zen like mellowness when he was around her. Their mother could see that they were developing quite a bond.

Although things had quieted in the Hamato household there was still tension amongst the adults. It was spring time and the adult hormone levels were elevated. Venus was trying her best to avoid the Turtle brothers but somehow each of them managed to find an opportunity to get her alone now and then. She didn't know how much longer she could curb her own urges let alone resist the Hamato brothers' individual charms. She did not want to get pregnant again any time soon, if ever again. As time passed and the Turtles reached the height of their mating season it became unbearable for all the adults. Venus could see that the guys were doing the best they could to hide their misery. She was feeling pretty miserable herself so she decided to call for a clan meeting in the dojo. Leonardo approved so after all the children were put to bed the adults met in the dojo. Venus started out with an apology to the four brothers.

"I know it's been a difficult season for all of us. There's a lot of pent up frustration amongst us and I know I'm the center of it all."

"That's not true, V," Raph protested. Venus put up a hand to silence his objection.

"But it is true, and I sincerely apologize. I want to relieve the tension as much as you do, but I'm also concerned about getting pregnant again. Our clan is growing at a fast rate and I doubt I can handle any more little ones. I know you all help out as much as you can but I think if we add any more at this time we'll all be overwhelmed."

"I see your point," Leonardo interjected. "But there's still that tension we have to deal with somehow. I am personally on the brink of insanity."

"You, Leo? You sure do hide it well," Donatello scoffed. Venus blushed knowing that he didn't hide it at all when he was alone with her. "As for myself, I've been focusing on my daughter, my research, and engineering the tunnels to cope. I have to admit all that can only go so far."

"So what are we gonna do about?" Michelangelo wondered aloud. The close knit clan bounced a meaningful glance among themas they tried to come up with a solution. Venus wasn't quite sure how it happened, but after about thirty minutes of discussion she found herself surrounded by four sexually frustrated males standing at attention, so to speak. With a timid smile and a nervous giggle she came to an obvious conclusion. She was going to have a very sore jaw in the morning, but she was sure her beloved baby daddies were going to make it worth her while.

Their temporary solution worked out pretty well since the tension among them was resolved. They were getting tired of the weekly deep cleaning of the tatami mat so they kept machine washable work-out mats handy in the dojo. In late April The whole clan celebrated the hatching of Raphael's offspring. It was one male and one female. Both had their father's dark colorings and pronounced red ear markings. The girl was the largest of all of the children at hatching. Mikey teased Raph by suggesting he name her Bruiser or China. Raphael was not amused. The red masked warrior surprised everyone with the names he chose for his children. Veronica for the girl and Rowan for the boy.

"Funny, I thought you might go with Snooki and Vinnie," Mikey teased once again. Raph was holding his babies so Leo and Don did the honors and slapped Mike on the back of the head. The new father couldn't contain his pride, so he called up his best friend Casey Jones who didn't waste any time bringing his family over to meet Veronica and Rowan. Venus' heart melted at the sight of Raph leaning over the hatchlings' bassinets to give them each a kiss. She could tell he was going to be a great father to them. He was already a fabulous uncle to the others. In fact all of the Hamato men were turning out to be great fathers, each in their own way. The proud mother was grateful for all of her children and loved them unconditionally. She had to admit she adored their father's too, unique quirks, personalities and all. She thought back on how unsure she was about making a pact of love and responsibility with the four brothers. She couldn't figure out why she had been so worried. She certainly had nothing to worry about now.

Jiendo

**Hope you enjoyed this story, dear readers. Gotta work on the outline for the next one. Until then, ja ne!


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